Leftist WI Governor’s ICE Memo To State Employees Comes Under Fire
Trump administration Border Czar Tom Homan warned state leaders like Gov. Tony Evers not to 'cross the line' and interfere with ICE efforts.Trump administration Border Czar Tom Homan warned state leaders like Gov. Tony Evers not to 'cross the line' and interfere with ICE efforts.Letitia James wags finger at Trump in first interview following 'damning' fraud allegations
Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James was vague and defiant in her first interview since allegations surfaced that she has repeatedly engaged in mortgage fraud.
On Thursday, James appeared on "Inside City Hall" with Spectrum NY1 to discuss the allegations, though she apparently did little more than to call them "baseless."
"Let me just say to all New Yorkers and to all Americans: The allegations are baseless," she said.
When pressed to give more information, James dodged. "As you know, as any good attorney, I will not litigate this case in a camera," she replied.
"It is important that we respond to these allegations at the appropriate time and in an appropriate way."
James also went on the attack, characterizing herself as one of many victims "targeted" by President Donald Trump and his "revenge tour."
"I will not be silenced. I will not be bullied. I will not bend. I will not break. And I will not bow to anyone. No one is above the law, including the president of these United States," she insisted.
"I will not go back and forth with respect to these baseless allegations. I am more focused again on standing up for freedom, liberties, and the rule of law in the state of New York."
James seemed less confident and bombastic on Wednesday, just one day before the Spectrum NY interview, when she ducked the media outside her Brooklyn residence by pretending to be on the phone, the New York Post reported. The outlet described the phone ploy as "inartful."
Law professor Jonathan Turley indicated that the evidence against James is not only 'pretty straightforward' but 'quite damning.'
James may claim that the allegations swirling about are "baseless," but other legal scholars aren't so sure. On Fox News Tuesday night, law professor Jonathan Turley indicated that the evidence against James is not only "pretty straightforward" but "quite damning."
In August 2023, James, 66, and a relative purchased a home in Norfolk, Virginia. In documents tied to the purchase, James pledged to use the home as her "principal residence," an apparent violation of a New York statute that requires all statewide officeholders to reside in New York, as Blaze News previously reported.
James has also allegedly violated the terms of her investment property in Brooklyn, claiming it has only four units when previous documentation indicates it has five.
According to William Pulte, the director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, the purpose of fudging the number of units would be to secure a conforming loan from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. To qualify for a conforming loan, a property may have no more than four units.
Pulte further alleged that James even went so far as to list her father as her husband to secure a mortgage loan in 1983. In forms dated May 2000, "Ms. James was listed again as 'husband and wife,'" according to Pulte, though whether her father was also mentioned in those documents is unclear.
Pulte sent a letter this week, recommending that Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche look into whether James committed wire, mail, and bank fraud and made false statements to a financial institution, among other crimes.
Despite this alleged history of falsifying real estate documents for better lending terms, James ruthlessly targeted Trump in a lawfare campaign that began shortly after he left office at the end of his first term. Turley joked that she "prosecuted Trump for everything short of ripping a label off a mattress."
She even brazenly sued Trump and the Trump Organization for allegedly overvaluing properties to secure better terms with banks and insurance companies. The irony that James now faces similar accusations is "perfectly crushing," Turley said.
Turley also cautioned that in her relentless pursuit of Trump, James set a standard that she may not be able to meet herself.
"She insisted that these technicalities matter and that the powerful should not be given a free pass," Turley explained. "Well, that bill has come due."
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Trump calls on 'wacky crook' Letitia James to resign after troubling fraud allegation surfaces
The tides may have turned for President Donald Trump and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who once went after him for fraud, after some documents connected with a house in Virginia revealed James may now be the one in hot water.
Late Sunday night, Trump posted an ominous message to Truth Social: "Letitia James, a totally corrupt politician, should resign from her position as New York State Attorney General, IMMEDIATELY. Everyone is trying to MAKE NEW YORK GREAT AGAIN, and it can never be done with this wacky crook in office."
'I intend to occupy this property as my principal residence.'
Trump's social media post also included a link to a report about a house in Norfolk, Virginia, that James and Shamice Thompson-Hairston, described as a relative of James, apparently purchased together in August 2023.
The house is a rather unremarkable three-bedroom, one-bathroom residence built in 1947. The women apparently purchased it for $240,000, securing a mortgage for just under $220,000.
The Virginia land records about the purchase include a "specific power of attorney" document authorizing Thompson-Hairston to act as James' attorney-in-fact. In this document, James states: "I HEREBY DECLARE that I intend to occupy this property as my principal residence."
The "specific power of attorney" document was signed and notarized on August 17, 2023. Except for the inclusion of her middle initial, the signature that appears on it seems to match the signature James regularly stamps on New York documents.
On August 31, 2023, Thompson-Hairston signed a statement claiming that she would serve as James' attorney-in-fact. Another document included in the land record obligates both women to "occupy, establish, and use" the Norfolk home as their "principal residence" within 60 days and to keep it their "principal residence" for at least one year.
If these Virginia documents are authentic, then James appears to be in a double bind.
At the time they were signed, James had already been the attorney general of New York for four years. Funded in part by billionaire financier George Soros, James campaigned in 2018 on a promise of "getting" Trump and later publicly fantasized about "suing" him.
Since she elevated to executive statewide office, she is required to reside in New York. According to New York law, once a state executive "ceas[es] to be an inhabitant of the state," the office is considered vacant.
'Can she document continued New York residency during this period sufficient to maintain her legal authority as Attorney General?'
In October 2023, just two months after the documents were signed, James filed a civil lawsuit against Trump, accusing him and others affiliated with the Trump Organization of overvaluing properties to negotiate better deals with banks and insurance companies. A jury agreed and slapped the organization with a staggering $455 million judgment.
The judgment is currently under appeal, and members of a New York appeals court already signaled support for overturning or at least reducing it.
If James' primary residence in 2023 and 2024 was actually in Virginia, her standing as attorney general — and in the Trump case as well as others — is dubious.
Moreover, a possible motive for declaring a property to be an owner's primary residence would be to secure a lower interest rate on a mortgage. If James misrepresented the Virginia property as her "principal residence," she could have committed the same type of fraud she accused the Trump organization of perpetrating.
In fact, reports have speculated that such false statements could even be considered federal wire fraud, a charge that carries decades in prison and fines of up to $1 million. The Department of Justice, now under Trump's purview, would be in a position to file such charges, if leaders are so inclined.
For now, the most significant drawback to the allegations against James is the fact that they were first raised in the blog White Collar Fraud by convicted fraudster Sam Antar. In the late 1980s, Antar was the CFO of Crazy Eddie, a Brooklyn-based electronics chain that went under after serious financial corruption was exposed.
Antar managed to escape prison time by copping a plea deal. He then made a "Catch Me If You Can" turnaround of sorts and became an investigator of white-collar financial crime.
In addition to publishing the Virginia land documents and explaining their relevance, Antar posed four important questions regarding James and her political future:
Why did James explicitly declare her intent to make Virginia her principal residence while serving as New York’s Attorney General?
Did she fulfill the 60-day occupancy requirement in her mortgage while simultaneously appearing in New York courts?
Can she document continued New York residency during this period sufficient to maintain her legal authority as Attorney General?
Will this affect her eligibility to run for re-election, which requires uninterrupted New York residency?
James' office and Thompson-Hairston did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.
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Maine sues Trump administration after funding freeze over transgender athlete debacle: 'They are not above the law'
Maine's attorney general filed a lawsuit against the federal government this week that stated the administration did not follow proper procedure when it cut off federal funding to the state.
The feud stems from President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at preventing men from participating in women's sports and entering their changing rooms.
Maine's Governor Janet Mills (D) famously told Trump in February that she would see him "in court" over the issue, and in March, the Civil Rights Office said the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association, and a Maine high school were each in violation of Title IX.
Just days later, the University of Maine System said it would comply with the new federal standards after it revealed it lost millions in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
'The Trump Administration is illegally withholding grant funds.'
However, the state as a whole did not comply, and it is now those Department of Agriculture funds that are at the center of the new lawsuit.
After the Department of Education issued a "final warning" to Maine in early April, the state has now responded with a filing that said the federal agency never conducted an investigation of its own, did not notify the state, and did not report its findings to Congress.
"Under the banner of keeping children safe, the Trump Administration is illegally withholding grant funds that go to keeping children fed," Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said, according to Townhall. "This is just another example where no law or consequence appears to restrain the administration as it seeks capitulation to its lawlessness."
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had told the state their "defiance of federal law" had cost them; and moreover, her language was categorized as that of a "hostage taker" in the court filing.
"Sounding more like a hostage taker seeking a ransom payment than a cabinet-level federal official," the court filing said. "Secretary Rollins warned that '[t]his is only the beginning' of the federal government’s funding freezes directed at the State of Maine, and that the State is 'free to end it at any time' by capitulating to the President’s demands regarding the participation of transgender athletes in school sports," the filing added, per Maine Public.
While Secretary Rollins had ensured parents that all children who were being fed by the state would have no interruption in their service, Maine's attorney general said staff in the Child Nutrition Program were allegedly unable to access money used to reimburse organizations who feed low-income children.
This left the state with "no way to get funds" to schools and other facilities to feed children, the filing claimed.
"The President and his cabinet secretaries do not make the law and they are not above the law, and this action is necessary to remind the President that Maine will not be bullied into violating the law," AG Frey added.
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Trump Cracks Down On ‘Grossly Unethical’ Lawfare Obstructing His Second Term Agenda
No more will lawyers and law firms be able to impede Trump’s every move with court actions, without risking consequences.Bondi has the power to take down Goliath — will she use it?
I spent 20 years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia, including 12 years as U.S. attorney from 1981 to 1993. During that time, I worked with five attorneys general across President Reagan’s two terms and President George H.W. Bush’s term. I also spent an additional six months working with the Clinton administration.
When I was first named U.S. attorney, the situation was very different. However, many of the challenges recently confirmed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi will face in Washington, D.C. — including issues related to drugs, organized crime, and immigration — are similar to those I confronted during my tenure. For instance, we dealt with the invasion of Jamaican criminal “posses” in cities across the country, including Martinsburg, West Virginia. Today, the United States faces a comparable threat from the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
America has spoken. Now, Pam Bondi must answer the call by reshaping the Department of Justice into a David willing to take on Goliath, rather than a Goliath victimizing countless Davids.
Maybe times haven’t changed as much as we think.
During my time as U.S. attorney, I pioneered the use of multi-jurisdictional task forces. These teams, composed of federal, state, and local law enforcement, worked together to take down criminals who had previously been untouchable. For Bondi, building and maintaining that kind of interdepartmental cooperation and communication is crucial — especially with the Trump administration’s focus on addressing illegal immigration. The more local and state law enforcement officials she enlists, the smoother the process will be. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true.
I also strongly advise the attorney general not only to allow but also to encourage each individual U.S. attorney’s office across the country to operate independently, without fear of reprisal or interference.
The best attorney general I ever worked under was Ed Meese. He gave us the freedom to pursue the cases and criminals we deemed most important. He never imposed marching orders or pushed us to follow any agenda other than what was best for our districts. U.S. attorneys excel when they pursue their own agendas.
I would urge Bondi to continue her efforts in the vigorous fight against the opioid epidemic. This crisis continues to devastate thousands of lives across the country every year. Recognizing the urgent need for action, Bondi’s efforts in Florida led to substantial settlements that provided much-needed resources for addiction treatment and prevention programs, including medication-assisted treatment. We need that same approach on the national level. I can think of no one better equipped to lead the charge in winning the war on drugs than this administration, with Pam Bondi at the helm.
I also hope Bondi prioritizes the fight against human trafficking nationwide, as she did in Florida. The initiatives she championed in the Sunshine State — increasing awareness, improving victim services, and enhancing law enforcement’s ability to combat trafficking — should be emulated across the country.
Similarly, her work in Florida against mortgage and financial fraud is just as important on a national scale. Her dedication to consumer rights and commitment to holding powerful entities accountable is more critical now than ever, especially after four years of misguided policies.
Most importantly, we must rely on Bondi to avoid the judicial overreach of her predecessor, Merrick Garland, who allowed special counsel Jack Smith to run roughshod over the Department of Justice. Independence should not have meant that Smith could disregard traditional judicial norms and practices, undermining the very system he was supposed to uphold while investigating former President Trump.
America has spoken. Now, Pam Bondi must answer the call by reshaping the Department of Justice into a David willing to take on Goliath, rather than a Goliath victimizing countless Davids. And she will have more than just a slingshot at her disposal to achieve victory.
Watchdog: 22 Blue States Joined Secret Anti-Trump Resistance Pact
Top Democrat officials of 22 states, with D.C. and San Francisco, signed a pact to resist limitations on birthright citizenship.Today's top stories
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