Jonathan Turley calls out irony in New York AG Letitia James indictment

New York Attorney General Letitia James faces federal charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.

Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University and Fox News contributor, noted the irony of the charges, noting that they follow years of James’s lawsuits against President Donald Trump on similar grounds.

“What’s really ironic is that she just sought half a billion dollars in damages against Trump in a case where no one lost money. In fact, the bank made money,” Turley told “America Reports” on Friday.

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“In this case, the government claims that she made a lot of money, that by misrepresenting the status of this property, she made thousands of dollars.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) press conference at the Manhattan federal courthouse on February 14, 2025 in New York. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

James faces one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution. According to the indictment, she falsely claimed a house in Virginia was her personal second home to obtain favorable loan terms, while still renting it.

Trump has already called on the Justice Department to take action against James, which Turley said could hamper the case.

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Turley suggested that in the future, James could claim to be the target of “vindictive prosecutions” and “selective prosecutions”. He said Trump’s social media posts urging the DOJ to act will likely be a central piece of evidence in their defense.

Turley also noted that he thought the odds would favor James. He said his legal team would likely challenge the appointment of the acting U.S. attorney who approved the charges.

“James will likely say that the acting U.S. attorney who signed off on these charges was improperly appointed and therefore should not have held that position,” Turley explained.

“If so, the indictment will be dropped.”

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James and his supporters portrayed the accusations as politically motivated.

“He’s forcing federal law enforcement to do what he wants, all because I did my job as attorney general of the state of New York,” James said in a video posted online.

New York Attorney General Letitia James and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani attend a campaign rally at Lou Gehrig Plaza in the Bronx, where Mamdani received support from Bronx elected officials on September 2, 2025. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Democratic candidate for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani called the lawsuits “an attack on our city” and a “blatant miscarriage of justice.”

Turley wondered why similar outrage wasn’t expressed during James’ lawsuit against Trump.

“I don’t remember Mamdani coming out and denouncing James when she ran for office promising to nail Donald Trump for something, without even specifying what that might be,” he said.

“None of these people opposed this law.”

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James’ 2018 campaign for New York attorney general included a promise to prosecute Trump.