The Justice Department has once again failed to secure an indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James, dealing another blow to President Donald Trump's efforts to bring charges against her. This marks the third time the department has attempted to prosecute James, following a prolonged campaign of pressure from the president.
Last month, a federal judge dismissed mortgage-related charges brought by the Justice Department against James and former FBI Director James Comey, ruling that the prosecutor in both cases was unlawfully appointed. The decision came after Trump named Lindsey Halligan as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Virginia, a move that led to her resignation.
The department also failed to secure a new indictment against James last week in Norfolk, Virginia. This latest development has sparked criticism from James' lawyer, Abbe Lowell, who described the Justice Department's failure as an "unprecedented rejection" and said it only serves to highlight the department's lack of integrity.
James herself has been a target for Trump since she investigated the Trump Organization for fraud, alleging that he and other leaders of the company had reaped hundreds of millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains. The investigation found that Trump was liable for fraud in a civil suit, but a divided state appeals court upheld the fraud filing while also finding the $464 million judgment to be excessive.
The Justice Department's failure to secure an indictment against James is rare, as the process is typically stacked in favor of the government. In this case, prosecutors brought in out-of-state federal prosecutors to try to bring charges against her, despite concerns from career prosecutors that the case was too weak to move forward.
The latest development raises further questions about the Justice Department's handling of the investigation and its commitment to upholding the law. As the case continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether James will face any future charges or if the Trump administration's efforts to target her will ultimately prove unsuccessful.
Last month, a federal judge dismissed mortgage-related charges brought by the Justice Department against James and former FBI Director James Comey, ruling that the prosecutor in both cases was unlawfully appointed. The decision came after Trump named Lindsey Halligan as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Virginia, a move that led to her resignation.
The department also failed to secure a new indictment against James last week in Norfolk, Virginia. This latest development has sparked criticism from James' lawyer, Abbe Lowell, who described the Justice Department's failure as an "unprecedented rejection" and said it only serves to highlight the department's lack of integrity.
James herself has been a target for Trump since she investigated the Trump Organization for fraud, alleging that he and other leaders of the company had reaped hundreds of millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains. The investigation found that Trump was liable for fraud in a civil suit, but a divided state appeals court upheld the fraud filing while also finding the $464 million judgment to be excessive.
The Justice Department's failure to secure an indictment against James is rare, as the process is typically stacked in favor of the government. In this case, prosecutors brought in out-of-state federal prosecutors to try to bring charges against her, despite concerns from career prosecutors that the case was too weak to move forward.
The latest development raises further questions about the Justice Department's handling of the investigation and its commitment to upholding the law. As the case continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether James will face any future charges or if the Trump administration's efforts to target her will ultimately prove unsuccessful.
. The Justice Department can't even get a good indictment against AG Letitia James and now they're bringing in out-of-state prosecutors like it's no big deal 
. What's going on here? Are they just trying to make it look like the system is rigged against her? It doesn't seem right that the president's personal vendetta is getting priority over actual justice 
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. It's no wonder James' lawyer thinks the department lacks integrity 
. The whole thing just feels like a big power play to me 
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. This case just keeps getting more and more bizarre 
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. It's like the Justice Department is being played by the other side, you know? They're supposed to be about seeking truth and justice, not just serving as a tool for revenge or retaliation. It's so frustrating that Letitia James' reputation is still being dragged through the mud over a case that's basically been cooked 
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. It just feels like more of the same - politics over people, with the powerful getting away with whatever they want 
. We need better than this! 
Can't believe the Justice Department can't even get it right when it comes to Letitia James. I mean, you'd think they'd have a good chance of taking her down by now, but nope... it just keeps on happening 
. Reminds me of when I was trying to convince my friends that vinyl records were making a comeback... we all thought it was never gonna happen 
. But seriously, this is getting ridiculous. Trump's been breathing down their necks for months and still can't get an indictment out of them. It's like they're playing some kind of twisted game of musical chairs... except instead of chairs, it's Justice Department officials' careers on the line 
. Anyway, I'm just gonna sit back, relax, and enjoy the show... but I'm not holding my breath 
! The fact that they brought in out-of-state prosecutors to try and take her down is just laughable. It's clear the department is playing politics here. Can't they just focus on doing their job? 
I'm so done with this back-and-forth between the Justice Department and Letitia James. It's like they're playing a game of cat and mouse, where the cat is always winning 
. The fact that the department has failed to secure an indictment against her three times already is just mind-boggling. I mean, come on, can't they just get it right for once? 
. It feels like they're trying to make this case as complicated as possible. And what's with all the drama around Lindsey Halligan's resignation? Can't we just focus on the facts here? 
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and now they're bringing in out-of-state prosecutors like that? it's just a waste of resources if you ask me. the justice department should be focusing on real crimes, not just chasing after high-profile targets like james. and let's be real, trump's motive here is probably more about trying to smear james' name than actually pursuing justice 
. It's like, come on guys, how many times can you try before you accept that Letitia James is not going down? 
and with this latest development, it just proves that point. The odds of securing an indictment against James were always low, especially since Trump's team has been trying to build a case against her for years 
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. It's time for some accountability and transparency in the Justice Department, if you ask me! 
. Trump's been trying to take down James since she investigated his shady business dealings and now we know the Justice Department is more interested in covering for him than doing its job 
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And now they're bringing in out-of-state prosecutors? Like what's next? Just to throw a bone for the Trump fanbase? 
So, I'm thinking... The Justice Department is like a big machine, right? And in this case, they're trying to bring down AG Letitia James, but it keeps slipping through their fingers 
. Trump is putting a lot of pressure on them, but I think they need to take a step back and re-evaluate the case 
. Maybe they should focus more on why James is important and what the investigation uncovered rather than trying to pin something on her 