The Department of Justice has convened a grand jury to investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James, escalating the ongoing conflict between President Donald Trump and New York’s top prosecutor.
According to sources familiar with the probe, the investigation is being conducted in Albany, New York, and focuses on allegations of a possible deprivation of rights. While the inquiry is in its initial stages, James’s office reportedly received subpoenas this week for documents, including records related to her civil fraud lawsuit against Trump.
A spokesperson for Attorney General James characterized the DOJ’s action as a political “weaponization” of the justice system. “Any weaponization of the justice system should disturb every American,” the spokesperson stated. “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.” The Department of Justice declined to comment.
James, a Democrat elected in 2018, has been a prominent legal adversary of Trump. In 2022, she successfully pursued a civil case against the Trump Organization for business fraud, resulting in a $454 million judgment against Trump, his company, and several executives, including two of his sons. A New York judge found that Trump and his associates had significantly overstated his wealth to secure favorable loans and other financial advantages.
In addition to the fraud case, James has been a leading figure among Democratic attorneys general in challenging the Trump administration’s executive actions through litigation. These legal challenges have targeted policies such as spending freezes on federal social programs, mass firings of federal employees, and restrictions on transgender care for minors.
This grand jury investigation follows a separate inquiry into James initiated in April. After the Trump-led Federal Housing Finance Agency asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate James for alleged mortgage fraud, the DOJ opened a criminal investigation into the matter. James has denied those allegations. Amid news of that inquiry, President Trump called James a “wacky crook” on social media and demanded her immediate resignation.
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