U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a press conference about deploying federal law enforcement agents in Washington to bolster the local police presence, in the Press Briefing Room at the White House, in Washington D.C., U.S., August 11, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia on Thursday returned an indictment charging New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) with fraud tied to a mortgage application.

The development marks a dramatic escalation in legal challenges faced by one of President Donald Trump’s staunchest critics.

The single-count criminal charge centers on allegations that James misrepresented a Virginia property as her primary residence to obtain favorable mortgage terms. Prosecutors contend the assertion was false or misleading, though the precise supporting evidence has not yet been made public.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) appeared on CNN following the development and strongly criticized the Trump administration over the indictment, saying, "it's just a broken way of doing politics. It's corrupt, and anyone who cares about the Constitution and our institutions surviving should care that the President of the United States is using Pam Bondi to do his bidding against adversaries."

Former Trump official Miles Taylor wrote on the social platform X: "Trump team gets charges against Letitia James, the New York attorney general who investigated President Trump's business practices America, I hope you realize that the Bill of Rights is going up in flames."

Writer Emily Singer reacted to the news and said: "Banana Republic."

Democratic influencer Joanne Carducci wrote: "He’s not going to stop with James Comey and Tish James. We all know that."

Law professor Leah Litman, noting that the Court has given the president authority to order sham investigations, wrote on Bluesky: "From the Supreme Court opinion granting Trump immunity: 'Investigative & prosecutorial decisionmaking is the special province of the Executive ... allegations that the requested investigations were shams or proposed for an improper purpose do not divest the President of [his] exclusive authority.'"

Democratic political strategist Simon Rosenberg wrote: "We are witnessing the most lawless behavior by a leader in American history, just daily, extraordinary abuses of power. National Democrats must speak out in a loud and clear voice against Trump's escalating authoritarianism. It is time now."

Writer Bill Shea said: "Pam Bondi was publicly told by the president to go after his political enemies, and she is following those orders without question -- the hallmarks of a fascist regime."