(NewsNation) — New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday pleaded not guilty to fraud charges levied against her by a Justice Department she said has been “used as a tool of revenge.”
Addressing a crowd of supporters who greeted her with cheers, James said their protests on her behalf have “strengthened my spirit, and it has anchored my soul.”
“But this is not about me. This is about all of us,” James continued. “And about a justice system which has been weaponized.”
James is accused of falsifying mortgage records to obtain more favorable loan terms for a residential property in Virginia.
According to the five-page indictment, the property “was not occupied or used by James as a secondary residence and was instead used as a rental investment property, renting the property to a family of three.”
James told the crowd she fully believes in the justice system and the nation’s rule of law: “My faith is strong … There’s no fear today.”
Prosecutors said they anticipate calling at least eight witnesses.
President Donald Trump had urged the Justice Department to pursue charges, calling James “guilty as hell.”
“These are dirty cops. Letitia James is a dirty cop,” Trump said. “You go after these people, and they say, oh … horrible you are, and yet I got indicted five times and impeached twice. Nobody says anything about that.”
James has denied the allegations, accusing Trump of political weaponization after she filed dozens of lawsuits against him and his administration.
Former FBI Director James Comey and former national security adviser John Bolton are also facing separate federal indictments after criticizing the president.
“This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system,” James said. “These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost.”
Prosecuting James is Trump appointee Lindsey Halligan, interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Halligan is a former personal lawyer for Trump with no prosecutorial experience.
James’ attorneys have notified the judge overseeing the case they will seek to have the charges dismissed on the basis that Halligan was appointed illegally.
NewsNation’s Anna Kutz contributed to this report.