NY AG Letitia James calls Trump admin allegations of mortgage fraud ‘baseless': interview
New York State Attorney General Letitia James is saying the Trump administration's criminal referral for mortgage fraud is 'baseless' but declined to give details, in a new interview.
James appeared on Spectrum NY1's 'Inside City Hall' Thursday, attempting to swat down allegations from the Trump administration that she falsified real estate records in Virginia and New York.
'Let me just say to all New Yorkers and to all Americans: the allegations are baseless. The allegations are nothing more than a revenge tour,' James told NY1 political anchor Errol Louis.
When pressed about the amount of bedrooms in her Brooklyn home — referring to the federal allegation that the AG illegally listed the home as having four instead of five bedrooms — James played her cards close to the vest.
'As you know, as any good attorney, I will not litigate this case in a camera. It is important that we respond to these allegations at the appropriate time and in an appropriate way,' she said.
'I will not go back and forth with respect to these baseless allegations. I am more focused again on standing up for freedom, liberties, and the rule of law in the state of New York.'
James counted herself amongst law firms, universities, immigrants, women, and federal employees who were all 'targeted' by the Trump administration as part of what the attorney general described as a 'revenge tour.'
'My office was successful in securing a $450 million judgment against Donald Trump and others for exaggerating the value of his assets,' James said, adding, the interest owed to the state is 'growing every day.'
The AG took the opportunity to bash reporters who were 'camped out' in front of her Brooklyn home and in front of the home of her relatives in Virginia, accusing the door-knocking reporters of 'harassment.'
She inartfully dodged questions from Post reporters on Wednesday outside her tony Brooklyn brownstone.
James said no one from the federal government reached out to her before the filing.
'I will not be silenced, I will not be bullied, I will not bend, I will not break, and I will not bow to anyone,' the attorney general stated, adding, 'No one is above the law.'
On Tuesday, the US Federal Housing Agency sent a criminal referral with James' name on it to Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleging the attorney general falsified bank documents and property records in order to secure favorable loan terms in real estate transactions in New York and Virginia.
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