As Justice Dept. Probes New York A.G. Letitia James, Trump Relishes Opportunity For Payback

President Donald Trump and New York Attorney General Letitia James have a history of clashing in courtrooms. In Trump’s second term as president, the Justice Department is now on his side in the conflict. James, a Democrat, is leading the party in challenging the current administration’s policies in court.

James has been involved in 20 lawsuits so far in the current administration. She has been part of a successful effort to block the Trump administration’s attempt to end birthright citizenship. She has gotten a court to block orders to freeze federal funding.

However, recent news reports have accused James of involvement in mortgage fraud. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating the case.

James, who won the 2018 election to become New York’s first black female attorney general, opened an investigation into Trump’s business in 2019. She sued Trump in 2022 for civil fraud. James ended up winning the case, with the judge ruling that Trump and his business inflated their assets and ordering them to pay $250 million in damages. Trump is currently appealing the verdict.

Now, with Trump’s backing as president, the Justice Department has begun investigating individuals who have previously investigated Trump. James is foremost among those.

The allegations against James state that on property records and documents for a loan application, she marked her primary residence as a property in Virginia. Furthermore, her Brooklyn property was marked to have five residents instead of four, and a mortgage record falsely marked that James was her father’s partner.

With the tension between Trump and James escalating, this dispute may benefit both participants. James, who is running for re-election in 2026, could win sympathy from her Democratic base. For Trump, there’s no greater foil for his attacks than James.