New York Attorney General Letitia James pleaded not guilty on Friday to federal charges accusing her of lying on mortgage papers to secure favorable loan terms in a case pushed by President Donald Trump .

James’ first court appearance in Virginia sets the stage for a high-stakes legal battle between the Republican administration and a Democratic longtime Trump adversary who angered him with a major civil fraud case she brought against him.

James left the courthouse smiling to cheers from supporters, who chanted, “We stand with Tish!” The case, she declared, was about “a justice system which has been used as a tool of revenge … and a weapon against those individuals who simply did their job and who stood up for the rule of law.”

“My faith is strong, and I have this belief in the

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