New York Attorney General Letitia James has hired Abbe Lowell to represent her amid allegations of fraud.
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte referred James to the Justice Department last week, accusing her of falsifying records to obtain home loans. Now, she has lawyered up with an attorney who has represented a number of high-profile individuals.
Lowell has represented Hunter Biden, former New York Gov. George E. Pataki, Sen. Bob Menendez, and Sen. John Edwards. The lawyer has also represented Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in-law.
James launched a civil fraud lawsuit against the president, his company, and some of his associates in September 2022. The case resulted in a ruling against the defendants in February 2024.
The New York attorney general accused Trump and his company of committing financial fraud by inflating the value of his assets to obtain more favorable loan and insurance terms. She claimed he exaggerated his net worth by billions to deceive banks and insurers. Judge Arthur Engoron ruled against Trump and ordered the defendants to pay over $450 million. Trump is currently appealing the ruling.
Lowell sent a letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi asking that she refrain from prosecuting James. He argued that the Trump administration is retaliating against James for her role in pursuing a politically motivated lawsuit against Trump during the 2024 campaign season.
In the letter, he listed quotes from Trump and his associates as evidence that the allegations against James are aimed at retaliating against her. “Having one of the President’s aides shout to reporters that ‘[s]he is guilty of multiple, significant, serial criminal violations’ is no substitute for the facts,” he wrote.
The attorney highlighted some of Trump’s past comments as proof. “Here are just some of his past remarks: “I am your warrior. I am your justice … I am your retribution.”
He also brought up a social media post in which Trump wrote, “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!”
The attorney brought up Bondi’s vow that she would not politicize the Justice Department. “Politics will not play a part … I will continue to do that if you confirm me,” she said.
He went on to counter Pulte’s claims that James misrepresented her primary residence on a mortgage form and that her Brooklyn property improperly contained five units, and that her deceased father inaccurately listed her as his spouse on a 1983 mortgage application.
In his criminal referral, Pulte made a series of allegations against James.
On Tuesday, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte filed a federal criminal referral to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, accusing New York Attorney General Letitia James of falsifying mortgage records. According to the referral, James allegedly claimed property in Virginia as her "principal residence" in 2023—while still serving as a prosecutor in New York—to obtain home loans. She reportedly misrepresented a New York property as having four units instead of five, which could have qualified her for a more favorable loan. These allegations come just weeks before James launched a high-profile civil fraud trial against the Trump Organization, which resulted in a $454 million judgment.
Pulte also cited documents showing that James purchased another property with her father as a co-signer but falsely listed them as “husband and wife” on mortgage applications in both 1983 and 2000. While the filings are decades old, Pulte argued that they still raise serious concerns about James’s honesty and accuracy in providing information on official mortgage documents.
“Ms. James, for both properties listed above, appears to have falsified records in order to meet certain lending requirements and receive favorable loan terms,” Pulte wrote Bondi and Blanche.
If James is hiring a high-powered attorney like Lowell, it is clear she is taking this case seriously. It suggests that she believes there is a very real chance that she could face charges and a potential conviction. Attorney General Bondi has not yet indicated whether the DOJ will pursue prosecution against James.
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