Virginia Prosecutor Declines Charges Against Letitia James

Elizabeth Yusi, a supervisor in the Norfolk office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, has told colleagues she sees no probable cause to charge New York Attorney General Letitia James in an alleged mortgage-fraud matter and plans to decline to seek charges. Yusi intends to present her conclusion to acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, who was installed after Erik Siebert resigned amid disputes over politically driven prosecutions; Halligan previously pursued an indictment of former FBI director James Comey. The mortgage-fraud referral originated from Trump ally Bill Pulte and concerns a Norfolk house where James’s niece lives, but James’s lawyer says records show James did not claim the property as her primary residence and that a power-of-attorney error explains the discrepancy. President Trump has publicly attacked James—calling her “SCUM” and urging prosecution—and the episode has drawn praise from some former prosecutors for Yusi’s refusal to bend legal conclusions to political pressure. Yusi could face dismissal, and the case has intensified concerns about politicization of the Justice Department and risks to career prosecutors.