LETITIA JAMES PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO BANK FRAUD, ACCUSES TRUMP OF USING JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR REVENGE
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New York Attorney General Letitia James, who famously prosecuted Donald Trump in a landmark civil fraud case, has pleaded not guilty to federal bank fraud charges, accusing the former U.S. president of turning the justice system into a “tool of revenge.”
James, 67, entered her plea on Friday at a federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, where she faces one count of bank fraud and another of making false statements to a financial institution related to a 2020 property purchase in Virginia.
The presiding judge scheduled the next hearing for December 5 and set January 26 as the trial date.
Speaking to a small group of supporters outside the courthouse, James described the case as politically motivated.
“This is not about me,” she said. “This is about all of us — and about a justice system which has been weaponized, a justice system which has been used as a tool of revenge.”
Supporters at the rally held signs reading “Defend Democracy” and “Revenge Is Not Democracy.”
The charges come amid a wave of indictments targeting some of Trump’s most prominent critics. Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty earlier this month to charges of making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. Last week, John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, was indicted for allegedly mishandling classified documents. He has also pleaded not guilty.
The federal cases against James and Comey were filed by U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, a Trump appointee, after her predecessor reportedly resigned citing insufficient evidence.
Trump has repeatedly called for the prosecution of his perceived political enemies, including James, Comey, and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who led his first impeachment.
James gained national attention in 2022 when she filed a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and his real estate empire, accusing them of inflating asset values to secure favorable bank loans and insurance terms. A New York judge initially ordered Trump to pay $464 million, though an appellate court later paused the financial penalty while upholding the fraud ruling.
Legal representatives for James and Comey have vowed to challenge the new indictments, describing them as vindictive and politically motivated.
Attorney Abbe Lowell, representing James, said he would file a motion to dismiss the charges, echoing a similar move by Comey’s lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, who argued that the prosecutions amount to selective justice.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has reportedly purged officials he deems disloyal, targeted law firms involved in previous cases against him, and cut federal funding to certain universities — actions critics say are part of a broader campaign of retaliation.
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