ACTL Statement on New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Arraignment

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA (October 24, 2025) — New York Attorney General Letitia James is scheduled to make her first court appearance today in the mortgage fraud case brought by the acting U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, where Ms. James has been charged with one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution.

The grand jury indictment returned against Ms. James came after President Trump publicly demanded that the Department of Justice prosecute her (and other political opponents including former FBI Director James Comey, who was also indicted in Virginia’s Eastern District). She intends to plead not guilty to both felony counts.

Lindsey Halligan, the top prosecutor for that jurisdiction and President Trump’s former personal lawyer, obtained the indictment against Ms. James after President Trump tapped her to replace former U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert, who had resisted pressure to bring charges against the president’s rivals, reportedly because he concluded that the facts and the evidence did not support such charges.

As Ms. James is arraigned today, the American College of Trial Lawyers reminds the public that the charges against her will be subject to careful scrutiny in a court of law. It will be the duty of a federal judge to ensure her rights as a defendant are respected and that she receives fair treatment as her case proceeds.

The court is likely to decide whether the charges are legally valid and whether Ms. James has been improperly singled out for selective or vindictive prosecution. These issues will be resolved by the court. The President cannot dictate the outcome, and any improper attempts to influence or intimidate the court or the jury should not be tolerated.

ACTL urges the public to respect the judicial process and to pay due attention to this case as it proceeds. That is the only way the work of the Department of Justice and the outcome of Ms. James’ case — whatever it may be — will earn the trust of the American people.

To read the full statement, click here.