Federal authorities are examining the New York Attorney General's office and the office of Senator Adam Schiff as part of an ongoing investigation.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated a grand jury investigation in Albany, New York, to probe possible deprivation of rights allegations connected to New York Attorney General Letitia James's office's civil fraud case against President Donald Trump.
This investigation marks a significant development in Trump's ongoing legal and political battles with James. Her office had previously secured a $454 million judgment against Trump and some executives of the Trump Organization for business fraud.
The DOJ's inquiry appears to be focused on whether James's office used its authority to violate Trump's legal rights through its civil lawsuits against the president and his businesses. Abbe Lowell, an attorney for James, described the investigation as a blatant and desperate example of political retribution by the Trump administration.
Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has appointed a special attorney, Ed Martin, to probe mortgage fraud allegations against Sen. Adam Schiff and James. Martin served as Trump's interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., earlier this year, but his nomination was withdrawn after concerns over his association with Jan. 6 rioters.
Martin did not comment on his Friday appointment, but previously, Preet Bharara, a former U.S. Attorney, criticized Martin for being politically compromised and unfit to lead any supposed investigation.
Grand juries seated in the Eastern District of Virginia will investigate the mortgage fraud allegations against James, and a grand jury in Maryland will investigate the allegations against Schiff.
Trump has publicly attacked James, calling her a "wacky crook" and demanding her resignation. However, Trump had previously called for both Democratic officials to be prosecuted because of the mortgage fraud allegations.
James and her office have launched several legal challenges to Trump's administration's agenda, dating back to his first term in office. Notably, her office won a civil fraud case against the longtime head of the NRA, Wayne LaPierre, in 2024.
In response to the DOJ investigation, James's office characterized it as a "weaponization" of prosecutorial power, affirming their strong support for their litigation efforts against Trump and related entities.
The NRA has expressed satisfaction about the investigation into James, with Doug Hamlin, NRA Executive Vice President and CEO, criticizing James for attempting to dissolve the organization and silence its members.
Trump is appealing the $454 million judgment awarded to James's office, and he has maintained that James is biased against him. He has also sued to stop her from proceeding with her fraud investigation, alleging political animus and viewpoint discrimination. However, he later dropped the suit.
The DOJ investigation into James's office regarding the mortgage fraud allegations against Trump and his businesses is ongoing, but the progress and evidence gathered are not immediately clear.
- The ongoing DOJ investigation, focusing on mortgage fraud allegations against Senator Adam Schiff and Letitia James, may indicate a broader political interest in general-news and crime-and-justice issues.
- In the midst of the grand jury investigation into her office's civil fraud case against President Donald Trump, Letitia James's office claims that the DOJ inquiry represents a weaponization of prosecutorial power, echoing claims of political retribution in loan matters.
- The DOJ's probing into James's office for possible violations of Trump's legal rights through its civil lawsuits, combined with politically charged mortgage fraud allegations against both Schiff and James, highlight the intertwining of wealth and politics in the ongoing investigations.
