FBI probes New York AG James over mortgage fraud allegations, media reports

(Reuters) - The FBI has opened a transgression probe into owe fraud allegations against New York Attorney General Letitia James, who President Donald Trump has publically targeted due to the fact that she pursued ineligible enactment against him.

James has joined attorneys wide from different states successful challenging Trump's second-term agenda. After Trump's archetypal word successful office, she brought a civilian fraud suit against him that resulted successful millions of dollars of penalties.

Trump has called for the prosecution of James and New York State Justice Arthur Engoron, the justice who oversaw that case.

Last month, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte, a Trump appointee, sent a missive to the U.S. Justice Department alleging James “falsified records” to get favorable loans connected a location she purchased successful 2023 successful Virginia and Brooklyn, the New York Post reported.

The probe is being handled by the FBI's Albany office, the Times Union paper reported, citing instrumentality enforcement sources acquainted with the matter.

James has denied Trump's allegations.

Representatives of James' bureau did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. The Department of Justice declined to comment. Spokespeople for the FBI and its Albany bureau could not beryllium instantly reached.

James brought a suit successful 2022 that accused Trump and his household businesses of overstating his nett worthy by arsenic overmuch arsenic $3.6 cardinal a twelvemonth implicit a decennary to fool bankers into giving him amended indebtedness terms. That suit led to Trump being ordered successful February 2024 to wage hundreds of millions of dollars successful penalties for fraudulently overstating his nett worthy to dupe lenders.

James has besides joined different Democratic attorneys wide successful suing the Trump medication implicit its policies, including its orders connected predetermination overhauls, cuts to wellness and education, and different moves. She and different Democratic authorities attorneys wide person besides denounced Trump's orders targeting instrumentality firms and judges.

The U.S. attorney's bureau for the Northern District of New York did not respond instantly to calls seeking comment.

(Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones, Susan Heavey, Jonathan Allen, Sarah Lynch, Chris Prentice and Luc Cohen; Editing by David Gregorio)