Watchdog group files bar complaint against Letitia James after federal case collapses
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: New York Attorney General Letitia James is facing fresh scrutiny after a conservative watchdog group filed a bar complaint against her days after a federal judge dismissed mortgage-related charges against her.
The complaint reignites questions surrounding James’ Norfolk, Virginia, property issues that had already fueled political fire across the country.
CASA accuses Letitia James of ‘illegal and dishonest conduct’
The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) filed the complaint with the New York Attorney Grievance Committee, alleging Letitia James engaged in “illegal and dishonest conduct” tied to the mortgage she obtained on her Norfolk home. The allegations mirror the now-dismissed federal case, raising concerns about whether the state’s top law enforcement officer adhered to the Rules of Professional Conduct.
Curtis Schube, CASA’s director of research and policy, wrote in the complaint that “fraud, misrepresentation, honesty and trustworthiness are all factors that the Rules of Professional Conduct expressly consider when weighing whether to discipline an attorney.” He urged the committee to immediately investigate and determine whether the claims can be proven by a “preponderance of the evidence.”
CASA argued that despite the failed federal indictment, the ethical issues remain unresolved, a point they insist places the matter squarely in the hands of the state’s disciplinary body.
Judge tosses indictments against Letitia James and James Comey
Earlier this week, US District Judge Cameron Currie dismissed the federal charges against Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey, ruling that the indictments were illegitimate because they were filed by an improperly appointed US attorney.
Currie, a Clinton appointee brought in from South Carolina due to a judicial conflict in Virginia, ruled that Lindsey Halligan, who brought the case, did not have lawful authority to act alone.
The judge found that after former interim US Attorney Erik Siebert was removed, the responsibility to appoint a temporary replacement fell to Virginia’s judges, not Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The dismissal was issued without prejudice, meaning prosecutors could technically refile charges.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum that the Justice Department plans to challenge the ruling, saying, “We believe the attorney in this case, Lindsey Halligan, is not only extremely qualified for this position, but she was in fact legally appointed.”
Mortgage allegations that fueled the controversy
Letitia James was indicted on October 9 for allegedly falsifying documents to obtain a $109,600 mortgage on her Virginia house. Prosecutors claimed she declared the property as her “principal residence” in 2023, despite actively serving as attorney general in New York.
She has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, saying she made a clerical mistake on a form and corrected it quickly. James insisted she never intended to deceive the lender.
The bar complaint adds new political pressure at a moment when James is already navigating the fallout of a high-profile federal collapse. CASA’s filing ensures the mortgage dispute isn’t fading from view, even as James maintains she acted lawfully and in good faith.
