The Steady Drip: US Attorney Quits Amid Pressure to Charge Letitia James (Connecting the Dots: Letitia James, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, ABC News & Soros Funding, All Networking)

US Attorney Quits Amid Pressure to Charge Letitia James (Connecting the Dots: Letitia James, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, ABC News & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Newsmax.com

Friday, 19 September 2025 09:14 PM EDT

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/justice-department-letitia-james-siebert/2025/09/19/id/1227153/

A federal prosecutor in Virginia, whose monthslong mortgage fraud investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James has not resulted in criminal charges, resigned Friday under pressure from the Trump administration.

Erik Siebert confirmed his departure in an email to colleagues, reviewed by The Associated Press, in which he praised them as the “finest and most exceptional” of Justice Department employees but made no mention of the political turmoil that preceded his resignation.

The replacement of Siebert as U.S. attorney for the prestigious Eastern District of Virginia office comes amid a push by Trump administration officials to indict James, a perceived adversary of the president who has successfully sued him for fraud. President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that he wanted Siebert “out” and multiple people familiar with the matter later told the AP that Siebert had informed his colleagues of his plan to resign from the position.

The administration's effort to oust him from the job represents a further erosion of norms meant to insulate the Justice Department from White House influence on prosecutorial decisions. The move is likely to deepen concerns that the department — already investigating other public figures Trump regards as foes — is being weaponized by a White House seeking to have its prosecutorial powers used for purposes of retribution.

It was not immediately clear Friday afternoon who would replace Siebert, who was nominated by Trump to the top job in the office this year after having worked there for more than a decade. Siebert’s top deputy, Maya Song, is also leaving her position as first assistant U.S. attorney and will work as a line prosecutor, one of the people familiar with the matter said.

Justice Department spokespeople declined to comment.

Trump administration officials have been aggressively pursuing allegations against James arising from alleged paperwork discrepancies on her Brooklyn townhouse and a Virginia home. The Justice Department has spent months conducting the investigation but has yet to bring charges, and there’s been no indication that prosecutors have managed to uncover any degree of incriminating evidence that could support bringing an indictment.

Asked about the issue at the White House Friday, Trump, without citing any evidence, said, “It looks to me like she’s really guilty of something, but I really don’t know.” Trump also said he was bothered that Siebert had been supported by the state’s two Democratic senators.

James’ lawyers have vigorously denied any allegations and characterized the investigation as an act of political revenge.

ABC News was first to report that Trump administration officials were pressuring prosecutors to bring charges and that the Republican administration was preparing to oust Siebert.

James has long been a particular source of outrage for Trump, in part because of a lawsuit she filed against him and his company that resulted in a massive financial penalty last year. That penalty was thrown out last month by an appeals court that narrowly upheld a judge’s finding that Trump had engaged in fraud by exaggerating his wealth for decades.

The case has taken a series of unorthodox turns. It emerged last month that Ed Martin, who leads the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group and is helping coordinate the investigation, had sent a letter urging James to resign from office “as an act of good faith” after starting his mortgage fraud investigation of her. He later turned up outside James’ Brooklyn townhouse in a “Columbo”-esque trench coat. A New York Post writer at the scene observed him tell a neighbor: “I’m just looking at houses, interesting houses. It’s an important house.”

James’ lawyer, Abbe Lowell, told Martin in a letter that the request for James’ resignation defied Justice Department standards and codes of professional responsibility and legal ethics.

The Justice Department “has firm policies against using investigations and against using prosecutorial power for achieving political ends,” Lowell wrote. “This is ever more the case when that demand is made to seek political revenge against a public official in the opposite party.”

A former District of Columbia police officer, Siebert joined the Eastern District of Virginia, an elite Justice Department prosecution office with a history of sophisticated national security and criminal cases, in 2010. He was nominated to the role of U.S. attorney by Trump this year with the backing of the state’s two Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.

The office has separately been involved in investigating matters related to the years-old investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, a longstanding grievance of the president. No charges have been announced as part of that work.

Although U.S. attorneys are presidential appointees, they are rarely fired. But the Trump administration has repeatedly disregarded norms and traditions meant to protect Justice Department prosecutors from White House political influence.

Prosecutors and other support personnel who worked on the special counsel team of Jack Smith that investigated and prosecuted Trump have been fired, as was Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor in New York whose father, former FBI Director James Comey, was terminated by Trump months into his first term amid the Russia election interference investigation.

Martin’s investigation stems from a letter Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi in April asking her to investigate and consider prosecuting James, alleging she had “falsified bank documents and property records.”

Pulte, whose agency regulates mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, cited “media reports” claiming James had falsely listed a Virginia home as her principal residence, and he suggested she may have been trying to avoid higher interest rates that often apply to second homes.

Records show James was listed as a co-borrower on a house her niece was buying in 2023. Lowell said records and correspondence easily disproved Pulte’s allegation. While James signed a power-of-attorney form that, Lowell said, “mistakenly stated the property to be Ms. James’ principal residence,” she sent an email to her mortgage loan broker around the same time that made clear the property “WILL NOT be my primary residence.”

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Letitia James is the Attorney General of New York and the chair for the Committee on Economic Development.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Thomas P. Gerrity is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and was a director at Fannie Mae.

Kenneth M. Duberstein was a VP for the Committee for Economic Development and a director at Fannie Mae.

Franklin D. Raines was the CEO for Fannie Mae, and a mortgage recipient from the Countrywide Financial Corporation.

James A. Johnson was the chairman for Fannie Mae, received five real-estate loans from the Countrywide Financial Corporation and is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Richard H. Davis is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and was the president of the Homeownership Alliance.

Homeownership Alliance is an advocacy group for Freddie Mac, an advocacy group for Fannie Mae and a trade groups organization.

Rahm I. Emanuel was a director at Freddie Mac, the White House chief of staff for the Barack Obama administration and is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Newton N. Minow is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

R. Eden Martin is the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago and counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP and Obamacare is his signature policy initiative is Obamacare.

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Urban Institute (think tank) is a contractor for Obamacare.

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Anthony A. Williams is a trustee at the Urban Institute (think tank) and a director at Freddie Mac.

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Donna S. Morea was an EVP for the CGI Group Inc. and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development.

Letitia James is the chair for the Committee on Economic Development and the Attorney General of New York.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (think tank) and the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

Mark R. Warner is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (think tank) and a U.S. Senate senator.

Hillary Rodham Clinton was a director at the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, the candidate for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign and Tim Kaine was her pick for Vice President.

Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary) supported the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign.

George Soros was a co-chair, national finance council for the Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary).

Tim Kaine was the vice presidential candidate, fundraiser for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign, a co-chair for the Catholic advisory committee to 2008 Obama campaign and is a U.S. Senator from Virginia.

Patrick J. Murphy was a co-chair for the Catholic advisory committee to 2008 Obama campaign, is an advisory board member for the Truman National Security Project, an advisory board member for the Truman Center for National Policy and a senior fellow at the Truman Center for American Progress.

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Center for American Progress calls for heightened “Gun Safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

Patrick J. Murphy is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

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Michael R. Bloomberg was a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation and a contributor for the Americans for Responsible Solutions.

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Charles J. O'Byrne officiated at John F. Kennedy Jr’s wedding and was a member of the Society of Jesus.

Tim Kaine was a missionary in Honduras for the Society of Jesus, a co-chair for the Catholic advisory committee to 2008 Obama campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton’s pick for Vice President and is a U.S. Senator from Virginia.

Patrick J. Murphy was a co-chair for the Catholic advisory committee to 2008 Obama campaign, is an advisory board member for the Truman National Security Project, an advisory board member for the Truman Center for National Policy and a senior fellow at the Truman Center for American Progress.

R. Hunter Biden is a director at the Truman National Security Project, a director at the Truman Center for National Policy and Joseph R. Biden Jr’s son.

Gabrielle Giffords is an advisory board member for the Truman National Security Project, an advisory board member for the Truman Center for National Policy and a co-founder of Americans for Responsible Solutions.

Americans for Responsible Solutions is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” PAC for guns.

Michael R. Bloomberg was a contributor for the Americans for Responsible Solutions, a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone and a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Harlem Children's Zone and the Robin Hood Foundation.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone and a supporter for the Center for American Progress.

Center for American Progress calls for heightened “Gun Safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

Patrick J. Murphy is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, an advisory board member for the Truman National Security Project, an advisory board member for the Truman Center for National Policy and was a co-chair for the Catholic advisory committee to 2008 Obama campaign.

Common Sense about Kids and Guns is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

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Timothy J. Roemer was the president of the Truman Center for National Policy and a co-chair for the Catholic advisory committee to 2008 Obama campaign.

Tim Kaine was a co-chair for the Catholic advisory committee to 2008 Obama campaign, a missionary in Honduras for the Society of Jesus, is a VA congressional delegation senator, and Hillary Rodham Clinton’s pick for Vice President.

Charles J. O'Byrne was a member of the Society of Jesus and officiated at John F. Kennedy Jr’s wedding.

John F. Kennedy Jr.’s wedding was officiated by Charles J. O'Byrne and was a director at the Robin Hood Foundation.

Michael R. Bloomberg was a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation, a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, a contributor for the Americans for Responsible Solutions.

Americans for Responsible Solutions is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” PAC for guns.

George Soros was a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone and the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Robin Hood Foundation, the Harlem Children's Zone and the Committee for Economic Development.

Letitia James is the Attorney General of New York and the chair for the Committee on Economic Development.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Thomas P. Gerrity is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development and was a director at Fannie Mae.

Kenneth M. Duberstein was a VP for the Committee for Economic Development and a director at Fannie Mae.

Franklin D. Raines was the CEO for Fannie Mae and a mortgage recipient from the Countrywide Financial Corporation.