For the second time in a week, a Virginia grand jury has refused to indict New York Attorney General on mortgage fraud-related charges.
The New York Times notes that while there is nothing to prevent the Trum administration from trying to indict her again, the repeated ability by prosecutors to secure an indictment suggests the effort to bring James to trial will ultimately fail.
Abbe D. Lowell, an attorney for James, said in a statement, “This case already has been a stain on this department’s reputation and raises troubling questions about its integrity. Any further attempt to revive these discredited charges would be a mockery of our system of justice.”
The prosecutorial pursuit of James is related to false statements allegedly made by James to a financial institution and one count of bank fraud. The charges against James followed a criminal referral made by Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, who alleged James committed mortgage fraud by claiming a Virginia property she acquired as her primary residence.
The original prosecutor in the case, US Attorney Erik Siebert, resigned under pressure after insisting there was insufficient evidence to pursue an indictment. Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide with no previous prosecuting experience, secured an indictment, but that was dismissed after a judge ruled that she was improperly appointed to her job. Last week, another grand jury refused to indict James.
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