NORFOLK, Va. — New York Attorney General Letitia James pleaded not guilty Friday to a pair of federal charges stemming from her purchase of a Virginia property more than five years ago.
James, 67, was indicted Oct. 9 by a grand jury on one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution.
The longtime Trump foe bought a three-bedroom, one-bathroom residence on Peronne Avenue in Norfolk with a $109,600 loan on Aug. 17, 2020, which was completed with a second home rider designating James as the “sole borrower to occupy and use the property.”
But prosecutors have alleged the home “was not occupied or used” by James and “was instead used as a rental investment property” to house her grandniece Nakia Thompson, giving James more favorable mortgage terms that benefitted her to the tune of nearly $19,000.
New York State ethics filings show James had listed the residence as an “investment” property and accrued between $1,000 and $5,000 in rental income since 2020.
However, James began listing the home as an asset in May of this year, when Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte referred her to the Department of Justice for prosecution based on allegedly false statements she made to purchase another home in the Norfolk area in 2023.
Neighbors who live on the same street as the Norfolk property who spoke with The Post last week said they have never seen the state AG popping in for a visit.
In an intial statement following the indictment, James decried the charges as “baseless.”
“This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system,” she said. “He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State Attorney General.”
James won a civil judgment against the Trump Organization last year for allegedly inflating the value of his real estate empire. The president was ordered to pay $355 million in penalties but successfully appealed in August to have the fine thrown out.
James’ office has appealed for reinstatement of the judgment, which had grown to more than $500 million with interest.
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