New York Attorney General Letitia James, who secured a $454 million civil fraud judgment against former President Donald Trump last year, is now facing allegations of potential mortgage-related misconduct—claims she has strongly dismissed as politically motivated retaliation.
According to a report by the Associated Press, James helped her niece purchase a modest home in Norfolk, Virginia, in the summer of 2023 by becoming a co-borrower on the mortgage. The transaction has since drawn scrutiny from William Pulte, a senior housing official during the Trump administration, who is now urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate James for alleged bank fraud.
Pulte’s request, outlined in an April 14 letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, hinges on claims that James may have misrepresented the Virginia property as her primary residence in order to secure a more favorable mortgage rate—a tactic that could violate lending rules. He cited a legal document James signed on August 17, 2023, granting her niece, Shamice Thompson-Hairston, authority to sign closing paperwork on her behalf, as evidence of her involvement in the purchase.
“At the time of the 2023 Norfolk, VA property purchase and mortgage, 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,” Pulte wrote. “Yet the mortgage documents list the Virginia property as her intended primary home.”
However, James’ office pushed back forcefully on the accusations, releasing part of the loan application in which she explicitly stated she did not plan to occupy the home as her primary residence. On the form, she answered “no” to the question, “Will you occupy the property as your primary residence?”
“These claims are baseless,” James said in an interview with NY1. “This is nothing more than retaliation for the successful legal actions I’ve taken against Donald Trump.”
Her office echoed that sentiment in a statement: “Donald Trump’s weaponization of the federal government continues to spiral out of control. They are using cherry-picked information to attack the Attorney General.”
The investigation request comes amid a broader pattern of political retribution targeting key legal figures who have challenged Trump, raising fresh concerns about the use of federal power for partisan ends. James has maintained that her actions remain firmly grounded in the law, despite mounting political pressure.
