Trump Facing Pressure as US Attorney Contemplates Resignation: Insider Reports
In a recent development, U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert has announced his intention to step down from his position in Alexandria, Virginia, leaving the office without a leader. Siebert's departure follows investigations into New York Attorney General Letitia James, which began in April over allegations of falsifying records related to her 2023 home purchase.
Siebert, a graduate of law school in 2009 and an assistant United States attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia since 2010, took over as the interim U.S. attorney on Jan. 21, 2021, following the resignation of Jessica Aber. His resignation comes after investigators were unable to find incriminating evidence of mortgage fraud against James.
The lawyer for New York Attorney General Letitia James has called Siebert's reported firing a "brazen attack on the rule of law." Abbe Lowell, a lawyer, stated that Trump's pattern of firing people until he finds someone who will bend the law to carry out his revenge is illegal.
Trump has repeatedly accused James of targeting him for political reasons, calling her "biased and corrupt." James, on the other hand, successfully brought a civil fraud case against Trump last year and leads multiple lawsuits challenging his administration's policies.
Trump officials had pushed Siebert to bring charges against James, despite a lack of clear evidence of her committing a crime. The forcing out of Siebert because he refused to do so marks an escalation in what the president's critics have called a retribution campaign.
As of now, anyone other than Lindsey Halligan, who was nominated by President Trump to lead the office following Siebert's resignation, is not publicly named as a candidate to take over the U.S. Attorney position in Alexandria, Virginia.
Meanwhile, ongoing investigations are targeting Sen. Adam Schiff and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. In a significant ruling, a New York judge concluded that Trump and his family had committed a decade of business fraud by overstating the value of their properties to get favorable loan terms, fining Trump and his sons nearly half a billion dollars. An appeals court subsequently tossed the financial penalty but upheld the finding that Trump committed fraud.
In related news, Siebert's deputy has left her position and intends to continue work in the office as a line prosecutor. The investigation into James, however, continues, with ABC News reporting earlier this week that investigators were unable to find clear evidence that James knowingly falsified records to obtain better loan terms.
