New York Attorney General Letitia James criminally indicted

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g9n4xj904o

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New York Attorney General Letitia James has been criminally indicted on federal charges by a grand jury.

James, who led a civil fraud investigation against Trump in 2023, was indicted in Alexandria, Virginia, according to the BBC's US partner, CBS News.

The federal grand jury received the case on Thursday. The charges against her were not immediately clear, but it has been reported that she was indicted over mortgage fraud allegations.

The BBC has contacted James' office for comment.

The justice department had previously investigated James for mortgage fraud, alleging she falsified bank and property records to receive better loan agreements, an administration official told the BBC at the time.

Officials with the Federal Housing Finance Agency had accused James of claiming a property in Norfolk, Virginia, as her primary residence in 2023 - when she was the top New York prosecutor - to secure a lower interest rate on a loan. Mortgages for primary residences typically come with better terms.

Trump appointed Lindsey Halligan, his former personal attorney, to oversee the case after another US prosecutor, Erik Siebert, resigned. Siebert was reportedly ousted after he told the justice department he had not found sufficient evidence to charge James.

Trump last month called on Attorney General Pam Bondi in a social media post to prosecute his political opponents, including James.

"We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility," he wrote.

James is one of several Trump adversaries to face legal threats. Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday after being charged with making a false statement to Congress.

The justice department has also reportedly opened investigations into Trump's ex-national security adviser John Bolton and California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff.

In the civil fraud case brought by James, Trump was found liable of falsifying records to secure better loan deals, leading to a $500m (£375m) fine. The penalty was thrown out by an appeals court, which called the fine excessive.