The Department of Justice has convened a grand jury to investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James, marking a significant escalation in President Donald Trump’s ongoing legal battles with New York’s top prosecutor.
According to two sources familiar with the investigation, which is being managed out of Albany, the probe centers on possible deprivation of rights allegations.
The inquiry, initiated under the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi, is still in its early phases. However, Fox News Digital has learned that James’s office received subpoenas for documents this week, including those related to her civil fraud lawsuit against Trump.
James, a Democrat elected attorney general in 2018, has long been a focal point of Trump’s legal and political ire. She successfully brought civil charges against him for business fraud in 2022 and has played a key role in challenging his administration’s executive orders in court.
A spokesperson for James characterized the DOJ’s latest move as a “weaponization” of prosecutorial authority.
“Any weaponization of the justice system should disturb every American,” the spokesperson said. “We stand strongly behind our successful litigation against the Trump Organization and the National Rifle Association, and we will continue to stand up for New Yorkers’ rights.”
A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the grand jury investigation.
James began probing the Trump Organization shortly after taking office, ultimately securing a $454 million judgment against Trump and several executives, including two of his sons.
A New York judge ruled that Trump and his business partners had grossly overstated his net worth to obtain favorable loans and other financial benefits. Trump is currently appealing the decision. At the time, James emphasized that financial fraud is not a “victimless crime.”
“If average New Yorkers went into a bank and submitted false documents, the government would throw the book at them, and the same should be true for former presidents,” she said.
James has also been at the forefront of legal challenges against the second Trump administration’s executive actions. Alongside other Democratic attorneys general, she has filed lawsuits opposing spending freezes on federally funded social programs, mass federal employee firings, and restrictions on transgender healthcare for minors, among other issues.
The convening of a grand jury is an initial investigative step that could lead to an indictment. This panel reviews evidence, including documents and witness testimonies, to determine whether probable cause exists to bring charges. The process can take several weeks or longer, and historically, grand juries tend to secure indictments more easily than prosecutors obtain convictions.
The announcement of this investigation arrives amid rising tensions between Trump and James.
In April, the Trump Federal Housing Finance Agency asked Bondi to investigate James over mortgage fraud allegations, which prompted the DOJ to open a separate inquiry. James has received subpoenas from a grand jury related to that case, as reported by the Washington Post.
Fox News confirmed that Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, who also leads a weaponization task force, is overseeing the mortgage fraud investigation into James, as well as a similar probe involving Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. The mortgage case against James is based in Virginia, while Schiff’s investigation is in Maryland.
James has denied the mortgage fraud allegations.
Amid the mortgage investigation news, Trump took to Truth Social to call James a “wacky crook.”
“Letitia James, a totally corrupt politician, should resign from her position as New York State Attorney General, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote.
