NY Attorney General Letitia James pleads not guilty to fraud charges at arraignment
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York Attorney General Letitia James pleaded not guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution.
James acknowledged her rights herself, which were read by the judge, in federal court in Virginia.
She walked out of the courthouse to cheers from supporters outside. James called the case political retribution for successfully prosecuting Donald Trump for fraud last year.
A jury trial date has been initially set for January 26, 2026. Both the government and the defense agreed to the date.
The trial would take "no more" than two weeks and the government estimates they would call between 8 to 10 witnesses.
Speaking briefly outside the courthouse following her arraignment, James said the justice system under President Trump has been "weaponized," "used as a tool of revenge" and is nothing but a "vehicle of retribution."
"I want to thank you for your support. It has it has it has strengthened my spirit. And as. And it has anchored my soul. So I want to thank you. You. But this is not about me. Yes, this is about all of us. Yeah. And about our justice system, which has been weaponized. Against a justice system, which has been a tool been used as a tool of revenge," James said.
She added, "And the justice system, which unfortunately, is now being used as a vehicle of retribution. Yes, yes, but my faith is strong. And my faith is, I have this belief in the justice system, in the rule of law."
At the center of the criminal case against James is the mortgage on a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house in Norfolk, Virginia, that she purchased in August 2020 for $137,000.
The five-page federal indictment reads she benefited from "ill-gotten gains of approximately $18,933" for a lower interest rate over the life of the loan by "misrepresenting its intended use" as a "secondary residence and was instead used as a rental investment property."
On Thursday, James' legal team said in paperwork it plans to ask a federal judge to dismiss the charges on the grounds that the U.S. Attorney in Eastern Virginia who obtained the indictment was unlawfully appointed.
Lindsey Halligan was appointed by President Donald Trump last month as U.S. Attorney for Virginia's Eastern District, after her predecessor was forced out of his job after he expressed concerns with the strength of the evidence against both James and former FBI Director James Comey.
Comey has also since been indicted in the same district on charges of obstructing Congress and making a false statement. He is making a similar argument in his case.
A rally was held Thursday night in Lower Manhattan in support of James ahead of her arraignment.
Several prominent elected officials put their support behind James at the rally in Foley Square, including Governor Kathy Hochul, Democratic nominee for mayor Zohran Mamdani, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Congressman Dan Goldman.
"If they can do this to the attorney general of a state like New York, heaven help the rest of us, cause they can come after anyone," Hochul said.
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