A federal grand jury refused to re-indict New York Attorney General Letitia James on mortgage fraud charges Thursday, just 10 days after a judge threw out the original case because the Trump administration’s handpicked prosecutor was unlawfully appointed.
The Justice Department had quickly tried to revive the case by presenting it again, but the grand jury declined to move forward.
James called the charges “baseless” and said the effort to prosecute her amounted to weaponizing the justice system. Her legal team argues the case was driven by political pressure from former President Trump, who repeatedly demanded prosecutions of his critics.
The judge’s earlier ruling voided the initial indictments of both James and former FBI Director James Comey, finding that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan had been illegally installed after the administration bypassed Senate confirmation requirements.
The dismissal was without prejudice, meaning the DOJ could still try again, though prosecutors now face additional legal hurdles and a grand jury that has already rejected the charges twice.
James’ attorney said the new refusal “should be the end of this case,” calling further attempts to prosecute her a “shocking assault on the rule of law.”