New York Attorney General Letitia James—who famously declared that “no one is above the law” while pursuing legal action against Donald Trump—now faces a federal criminal referral over alleged mortgage fraud, according to a letter obtained by The New York Post.
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte sent the referral to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy AG Todd Blanche, accusing James of falsifying records to obtain home loans for a Virginia property she claimed as her “principal residence” in 2023—while still serving as a New York state prosecutor. The alleged misconduct took place in late August 2023, just weeks before James launched her civil fraud trial against the Trump Organization, which ultimately resulted in a $454 million judgment, The Post reported.
“Ms. James was the sitting Attorney General of New York and is required by law to have her primary residence in the state of New York — even though her mortgage applications list her intent to have the Norfolk, VA, property as her primary home,” the letter stated. “It appears Ms. James’ property and mortgage-related misrepresentations may have continued to her recent 2023 Norfolk, VA property purchase in order to secure a lower interest rate and more favorable loan terms.”
In February 2001, James also bought a five-family dwelling in Brooklyn, but she has “consistently misrepresented the same property as only having four units in both building permit applications and numerous mortgage documents and applications,” the letter said, per The Post. Pulte provided several documents indicating that James purchased another property, with her father as a co-signer, but falsely listed them as “husband and wife” in 1983 and 2000.
“While this was a long time ago, it raises serious concerns about the validity of Ms. James’ representations on mortgage applications,” he wrote. A spokesman for her office responded in a statement to The Post: “Attorney General James is focused every single day on protecting New Yorkers, especially as this Administration weaponizes the federal government against the rule of law and the Constitution. She will not be intimidated by bullies — no matter who they are.”
The letter cited earlier media reports alleging that Letitia James misrepresented her residency to obtain a lower mortgage rate in Virginia and falsely claimed her five-unit Brooklyn property had only four units. These claims were first reported by the outlet White Collar Fraud. According to legal filings, James granted power of attorney to a relative, Shamice Thompson-Hairston, to sign an August 17, 2023, document authorizing the purchase of the Virginia property. She secured a $218,780 mortgage for that transaction.
Regarding the Brooklyn property, FHFA Director William Pulte stated that listing it as a four-unit residence may have allowed James to qualify for a reduced mortgage interest rate—potentially lowering it by up to 1%—and receive lower monthly payments under the federal Home Affordable Modification Program. “Ms. James, for both properties listed above, appears to have falsified records in order to meet certain lending requirements and receive favorable loan terms,” he told Bondi and Blanche. These could lead to criminal charges like wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, and providing false statements to financial institutions, among others, Pulte added.
George Washington University law professor and Post columnist Jonathan Turley told Fox News host Laura Ingraham Tuesday night: “These are misleading statements. Either it’s your principal residence or it’s not. Either you’re married to your father or he’s your father.” He went on to call the allegations “quite damning.”
“This is a person who prosecuted Trump for everything short of ripping a label off a mattress, and among the charges that were brought in New York, in just the civil but the criminal case, was making false or misleading statements to financial institutions,” he said. “As for James, if we apply the Letitia James standard that she created, there’d be little question here. This seems pretty straightforward.”