The FBI has opened a formal criminal investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James over claims that she falsified information to obtain favorable mortgage terms on properties in Virginia and Brooklyn.
At the center of the investigation is a 2023 real estate transaction in which James allegedly listed a Norfolk, Virginia property as her primary residence, despite maintaining her official home in New York. Investigators are also reviewing documentation related to a Brooklyn property she has owned since 2001, where inconsistencies in reported occupancy have raised additional concerns.
The referral prompting the probe was made by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte, who accused James of misrepresenting her living arrangements to benefit from loan programs reserved for primary residences.
James’s legal team has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the investigation as politically motivated and pointing to clerical errors rather than intentional fraud. Her lawyer insists that the Virginia home was never intended to be her primary residence.
The Justice Department has not issued any public statements as the investigation remains ongoing, casting new political tension around one of New York’s most high-profile legal figures.