Opinion: Turnabout Is Fair Play-Letitia James, Mortgage Fraud
When the law is used as a political weapon, it risks boomeranging back on those who swing it. Attorney General Letitia James is accused of Mortgage Fraud
New York Attorney General Letitia James, the prosecutor who built her political career on pursuing Donald Trump, now finds herself accused of the very kind of misconduct she once weaponized against him. Allegations of mortgage fraud leveled against James by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) have sparked a firestorm, raising questions about hypocrisy, selective prosecution, and the integrity of those who wield the law as a political cudgel. The parallels between James’ alleged misdeeds and the civil fraud case she brought against Trump are striking—and the irony is impossible to ignore.
James made headlines in 2022 when she filed a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization, accusing them of inflating property values to secure favorable loan terms. After a years-long investigation and a high-profile trial, a New York judge ordered Trump to pay a staggering $454 million in penalties, a sum that has since ballooned to nearly $500 million with interest. James framed the case as a defense of “fairness in the marketplace,” arguing that Trump’s exaggerated financial statements defrauded banks and insurers, even though no lenders claimed losses. Her rhetoric was uncompromising: “No one is above the law,” she declared, casting herself as a champion of accountability.
Fast forward to April 2025, and the tables have turned. The FHFA has referred James to the Department of Justice for alleged mortgage fraud, accusing her of falsifying records to secure better loan terms on properties in Virginia and New York. Specifically, James is alleged to have misrepresented a Norfolk, Virginia, property as her primary residence in 2023—despite her role as New York’s top prosecutor requiring residency in the state—to obtain a lower interest rate. Additionally, she reportedly misstated the number of units in a Brooklyn property and, in earlier transactions, falsely listed herself and her father as “husband and wife” on mortgage documents. These accusations, if true, mirror the core of her case against Trump: manipulating records to gain financial advantage.
The hypocrisy is glaring. James prosecuted Trump for inflating asset values in a civil case where no one was demonstrably harmed, yet she now faces allegations of falsifying records in a way that could constitute criminal fraud. As New York City trial attorney Nicole Brenecki noted, “Signing a false declaration to obtain any benefits generally constitutes civil fraud. As such, Ms. James will likely be scrutinized and criticized by her political opponents for doing exactly what she accused Trump of in that case.” The stakes for James are potentially higher, as her alleged actions involve federally backed loans, which could lead to felony charges, disbarment, or even jail time.
Critics argue this is a clear case of “turnabout is fair play.” James’ relentless pursuit of Trump, which began with campaign promises to “shine a bright light” into his dealings, was seen by many as politically motivated. Trump and his allies repeatedly called her actions a “witch hunt,.” The FHFA referral, spearheaded by Trump-appointed official William Pulte, has fueled accusations of retaliation, but it’s hard to dismiss the irony: James’ own playbook is now being used against her.
To be clear, the allegations against James remain unproven, and she has vehemently denied wrongdoing, calling them “baseless” and a “revenge tour” by the Trump administration. Her defenders, like former prosecutor Norm Eisen, argue that the claims are “stale” and politically motivated, pointing to Trump’s history of targeting critics. Yet the documents cited by the FHFA, first reported by fraud investigator Sam Antar, appear damning on their face, and legal experts suggest the case could be straightforward to prove if the evidence holds. James’ insistence that she’s being unfairly targeted rings hollow when juxtaposed against her own aggressive tactics against Trump, which many saw as stretching the law to fit a predetermined narrative.
As the DOJ reviews her case, the public watches, wondering if “no one is above the law” applies as equally to the accuser as it did to the accused. Turnabout, it seems, is indeed fair play.