Topline
New York Attorney General Letitia James was arraigned Friday at a federal courthouse in Virginia, pleading not guilty to charges of bank fraud and false statements—as legal experts and new reporting continue to undercut the strength of the government’s case against the longtime Trump foe.
New York Attorney General Letitia James appears at a press conference on October 21, 2025 in New York City.
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Key Facts
James was arraigned at 11 a.m. EDT in the Eastern District of Virginia, where she was indicted on counts of bank fraud and false statements to financial institutions, entered a plea of not guilty, and then was released from custody .
Her case is set to go to trial starting Jan. 26, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jamar Walker announced Friday.
The New York attorney general, a longtime political enemy of President Donald Trump, was indicted based on allegations that she improperly claimed a property in Virginia was a second residence rather than an investment property, allowing her to obtain better terms on her mortgage.
James had already denied the allegations against her, saying in a video after her indictment that the charges are “nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.”
Her lawyers filed a court document Friday arguing James’ case should be thrown out because U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan—the former Trump defense attorney now leading the Eastern District of Virginia—was improperly appointed, as former FBI Director James Comey, also indicted in that district, has already done.
James’ motion to disqualify Halligan will likely be combined with Comey’s motion, CNN reports, and James’ lawyers told the court Friday they will also move to dismiss the charges because the DOJ’s prosecution is “vindictive” and “selective.”
Crucial Quote
The Trump administration’s case against James is “about all of us, and a justice system which has been weaponized” and “used as a tool of revenge,” James told supporters gathered outside the courthouse Friday following her arraignment, saying she has “strong” faith that she’ll prevail in her case. “I believe that justice will rain down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream,” James told supporters, adding she “will not be deterred” and “will not be distracted” from continuing her work as attorney general.
