Oh, ‘Tish… What Have You Done?
If this is what it looks like, Letitia James is about to get her comeuppance
As some of you may have noticed, our old pal Letitia James has found herself back in the news of late. And once again, it’s for all the wrong reasons.
For those who have (wisely) chosen to forget, Ms. James is the 67th Attorney General for the state of New York, and rose to national fame as the mastermind behind the preposterous Civil Fraud case against President Trump, prior to last year’s election. We won’t re-hash the specifics of that case (check out the article we published last year for a refresher) but suffice it to say: it was a scam. This wasn’t simply a ‘weak case’—this was a sham; a fraud perpetrated on the American Justice System and American voters alike.
Letitia James sued President Trump for making ‘fraudulent’ statements to Deutsche Bank about the value of his assets, to obtain a more favorable interest rate for a loan he secured from the bank (and repaid) way back in 2011. Again, without belaboring details, Ms. James’ case was laughably thin. Although she won a massive, hyper-inflated verdict at the trial level (another indictment of the corruption of our Justice System), many expect the NY Appellate Division to overturn the verdict completely when their decision is finally announced.
This week, in the ironic twist of all ironic twists, the US Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sent a letter to the US Department of Justice recommending that they criminally prosecute Ms. James, for fraudulent “property and mortgage-related misrepresentations”. Meaning?
She lied on her loan applications.
Pot. Kettle. Black.
In their letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi, the FHFA states “Ms. Letitia James has, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire government backed assistance and loans and more favorable loan terms.” It would appear Ms. James’ bogus civil fraud crusade last year was nothing more than an instance of severe psychological projection—inspired by her very own financial misdeeds. But, unlike her case against President Trump, this one’s got teeth. Let’s break it down.
1. A Home Away From Home
The FHFA alleges that, while applying for a mortgage on her second home in 2023, Ms. James signed multiple documents explicitly stating that she was purchasing the home as her “Primary Residence”. Why does that matter, you may ask? Well, Lenders view Primary Residence mortgages as significantly less risky than mortgages on Secondary Residences. The idea is that, if the borrower is ever short of cash, they are much less likely to default on their Primary Residence mortgage than their Secondary Residence. After all, what good is a ‘Summer home’ when you’re commuting to work from a Motel-6?
Accordingly, Interest Rates on Secondary Residence mortgages are higher than their primary residence counterparts. So, assuming these allegations are true, Letitia James lied to get a lower Interest Rate on her loan… (sound familiar?)
There’s just one problem. The New York State Constitution explicitly requires that its Attorney General have their Primary Residence in the state of New York. At the time of Ms. James’ application for the mortgage on her Virginia home, she had already been serving as New York Attorney General for over 4 years.
So, which is it, ‘Tish? Are you a proud New Yorker and thus guilty of fraud (and extreme hypocrisy)? Or should we begin proceedings to remove you as Attorney General, given that you’ve violated the residency requirements for office?
2. Pick Your Poison: Incest or Fraud?
In further revelations, the FHFA’s letter reveals that Letitia James has a history of lying on loan applications. Years previously, Ms. James and her father co-signed mortgage documents stating they were, in fact, husband and wife. Because couples are viewed as less risky for lenders (due to their joint income, joint credit, etc.), it’s common for lenders to only offer certain loans and/or Interest Rates to married couples.
At this point, it’s fairly obvious where the inspiration for the Trump Civil Fraud lawsuit came from. Letitia James must have assumed, because she was a prolific loan application bullsh** artist, that everyone was. So, to fulfill her deranged campaign promise of ‘getting Trump’—where was the first place she thought to look? In Trump’s loan documents of course!
3. Slumlord Millionaire
If true, this one might be the worst of them all. In 2001, Letitia James secured a ‘Conforming Loan’ to purchase a five-family dwelling in Brooklyn, NY. Conforming Loans are mortgages backed by federal loan agency Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. These loans have better rates and terms than you would get from a private lender, as they are intended for “lower and middle-income borrowers.” Then, in 2011, James applied for the Home Assistance Modification Program (“HAMP”), a Great Recession-era program intended to reduce the mortgage payments of property owners facing financial hardship.
Shockingly, the issue here isn’t even that Letitia James exploited federal programs designed for struggling property owners (which she clearly is not). That’s just gross (not unlawful). The issue is that both aforementioned loan programs are ONLY available if the subject property contains 4 units or less. Again, the property that ‘Tish James purchased contains 5 units. So (if the FHFA allegations are true), what did Letitia James do? She did what Letitia James always does. She lied. Continuously. The FHFA alleges that, on several federal forms and applications, James clearly described the property as a 4-unit dwelling. Oops.
Comparing the Two Cases
Let’s be clear: despite the Mainstream Media’s proclamations that ‘no one is above the law’, Letitia James’ Civil Fraud lawsuit against Trump would only ever have been filed against one person: Trump. No one else in his position would ever have been subjected to such a rigamarole.
On the other hand, if an average private citizen committed the fraud that Letitia James is accused of? They would face investigation by the FHFA (or even the FBI), followed by indictment, a criminal trial, and penalties of 7 years (or more) in prison, as well as fines and restitution damages.
Where Letitia James was expecting to avoid prosecution by virtue of her public persona, President Trump was specifically targeted for his. That is not ‘equal justice for all’. That is corruption.
If she was a resident of VA, and therefore not eligible to be Atty Gen'l in NY, does that mean any cased tried under her tenure are now invalid?
Thanks for laying all that out. Poor Leticia. I'm sure she agrees that no one is above the law. She was elected on the promise to get Trump. I recall her sitting in the courtroom waiting for the judge to impose sentence. She was blatantly gloating. Would love to see them reverse roles when she is convicted and he is sitting in the courtroom gloating. What goes around come around.