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Letitia James pleaded not guilty to fraud charges during a brief appearance inside a federal court in Virginia, where an inexperienced former private attorney donald trump Is The President sought criminal prosecution against the Democratic Attorney General of New York.
A two-count indictment James was accused of bank fraud and making false statements regarding a loan for a property purchased in 2020.
“Not guilty on both counts,” he told the judge Friday.
A trial is tentatively scheduled to begin on January 26, 2026, and could take up to five days with eight to 10 witnesses.
“This is not about me. This is about all of us, and about the justice system that has been weaponized [and] Used as a tool of revenge,” she told supporters outside the court in Norfolk after Friday’s hearing.
Trump’s Justice Department, he said, has been used as a “weapon” and “instrument of retaliation” against individuals who simply did their jobs and stood up for the rule of law.
James, glowing in the sun, addressed reporters and the crowd chanting “We stand with Tish” while a box truck circled the block with a banner bearing her face and the word “Fearless.”
Protesters waved signs reading “Defend Democracy” and called on the Trump administration to stop “Putin-style show trials” against his political enemies.
Trump last month nominated his personal attorney, Lindsay Halligan, to be U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. When he boasted about “firing” the district’s top prosecutorwho resisted administration pressure to prosecute James and former FBI Director James Comey.
Halligan, who has no prosecutorial experience, brought the case against Comey a few days after Trump’s demands, and he personally testified against James to the grand jury.
The indictment relates to the Attorney General’s purchase of a modest home in Norfolk, Virginia, where he has family. During the sale, she signed a standard document called a “second home rider”, in which she agreed to hold the property primarily for “personal use and enjoyment for at least one year”, unless the lender agrees otherwise.
Prosecutors alleged that James rented the property to a family of three instead of using it as a second residence, which allegedly allowed James to obtain more favorable loan terms.
If convicted, James could face up to 30 years in prison per count, a fine of up to $1 million on each count, and forfeiture of assets.
After the revelations about Halligan, James’ lawyers on Thursday asked for a court order to prevent prosecutors from discussing the case with the media. A reporter from the legal media organization Lawfare was sent repeated messages about the case.
“This exchange was a stunning disclosure of internal government information,” James’ lawyers wrote.
“It is reported that Ms. Halligan has no prosecution experience,” he said. “But all federal prosecutors are required to know and follow the rules governing their conduct from their first day on the job, and so no lack of experience can excuse their violations.”
James has been in the President’s crosshairs for years, as his real estate empire was the subject of a wide-ranging investigation into allegations of fraud inside his office and the family business.
A New York judge ruled on Trump and his allies Illegally enriched himself by defrauding banks and investors in a decade-long scheme. To secure favorable financing terms for some of its brand-building properties — echoing the case that Trump’s Justice Department has brought against James.
in August, a state appeals court It determined that the crushing financial judgment against Trump by New York judge Arthur Angoron – which has swelled to more than $515 million with growing interest – was “excessive”.
But the court upheld Angoron’s findings that the president and his business partners committed brazen fraud – a decision by appellate judges that fell well short of what the president had sought through the courts to protect him.
On Thursday, James’ lawyers asked for an order to prevent prosecutors from disclosing to the news media information about the investigation, or the contents of the case, outside of court.
Last month, a post on Truth Social had this It was apparently intended to be a personal message to Attorney General Pam BondiAccording to Trump, the President complained that “nothing is being done” in the cases against James, Comey and Senator Adam Schiff, who are “guilty as all hell”.
“We cannot delay any longer, it is destroying our reputation and our credibility,” Trump wrote at the time. “They impeached me twice, and convicted me (5 times!) for nothing. Justice must be served now!!!”
Charges were expected, despite recommendations from several prosecutors, who argued that there was not enough evidence to obtain a successful conviction against James after a months-long investigation.
But Justice Department officials were shocked when they learned that Halligan, who was prosecuting Comey under similarly suspicious circumstances, had already presented the case to a grand jury without their knowledge.
“As a matter of law, we will not discuss any grand jury cases with the media, but the Justice Department is united as a team in our mission to make America safe again,” Justice Department spokesman Chad Gilmartin said in a statement. Independent Last week.
“The Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, along with the Chief Justice’s entire team, will continue to empower our U.S. attorneys to seek justice in every case,” he said.