New York attorney general Letitia James became the latest target of Donald Trump’s Justice Department on Thursday when she was charged with one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution for allegedly claiming a home in Norfolk, Virginia was her second residence. James has denied the allegations; in a statement, her attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the case “is being driven by President Trump’s desire for revenge,” and vowed to “fight these charges in every process allowed in the law.” If the claims against James sound familiar, it’s probably because they’re very similar to the ones brought against Dr. Lisa Cook, the Fed Board of Governors member Trump is trying to oust. And if James’s lawyer sounds familiar, it’s probably because he is also representing Cook. Oh, and his past clients have included Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.
Herewith, a primer on the go-to defense attorney.
Wait, wait, wait, before we get to Lowell, what’s going on with James?
James was indicted by a grand jury in Virginia on Thursday, and charged with mortgage fraud, having allegedly claimed that a house in Norfolk, Virginia was her second home—which allowed her to obtain more favorable loan terms—but which she rented out. Prosecutors claim James saved $18,933 with the lower interest rate. If convicted, she could face up to 30 years in prison and pay a fine up to $1 million for each count. (Similarly, Cook was charged with allegedly claiming two different homes were her primary residence, allegations she has denied, and which appear to be rapidly falling apart.) In August, attorney general Pam Bondi appointed a “special attorney” to investigate claims against James brought by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte—who, in that same capacity, alleged wrongdoing by Cook. After prosecutors concluded they did not have sufficient evidence to win a conviction against James, and the acting US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia resigned under pressure from the president, Trump named one of his former personal attorneys, Lindsey Halligan, as acting prosecutor, despite the fact she has…no prosecutorial experience. In her short time on the job, Halligan first brought charges against former FBI director James Comey, and then James.
Good lord.
