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New York Attorney General Letitia James made a name for herself prosecuting President Trump for fraud. That case resulted in a judgement against Trump for hundreds of millions of dollars and is currently being appealed. Today, AG James got criminal referral of her own which involves her purchasing of a house in Norfolk, Virginia and another multi-family home in Brooklyn.
Federal Housing FHFA Director William Pulte sent the missive to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy AG Todd Blanche, alleging that James had “falsified records” to get home loans for a property in Virginia that she claimed was her “principal residence” in 2023 — while still serving as a New York state prosecutor.
In February 2001, James also purchased a five-family dwelling in Brooklyn — but has “consistently misrepresented the same property as only having four units in both building permit applications and numerous mortgage documents and applications,” the letter noted.
So what’s going on here? Newsweek has a story up looking at the allegations about the house in Norfolk.
A «specific power of attorney» document signed by James on August 17, 2023, shows her intent to change her residence to Norfolk, Virginia. The attorney general authorized her relative, Shamice Thompson-Hairston, to act on her behalf.
The 1,450-square-foot single-family home property in Norfolk was built in 1947 and has three bedrooms and one bathroom, per the deed. It was purchased for $240,000, with a $219,780 mortgage.
A separate land record stipulates both women to «occupy, establish, and use» the Norfolk home as their «principal residence» within 60 days and to keep it their «principal residence» for at least one year.
This generates two potential problems for James. The first is that, by law, her residence must remain in the jurisdiction where she holds office.
