Grand Jury Rejects New Indictment For Letitia James

A federal grand jury turned down the Trump administration’s latest bid to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to two people familiar with the matter, who were granted anonymity to discuss the proceedings.

A grand jury in Virginia declined to indict James on Thursday — the latest black eye for the administration’s campaign to deliver the criminal cases President Donald Trump has demanded against his political adversaries.

It’s the second time in recent weeks that the case against James, for allegedly falsifying mortgage paperwork related to property in the Norfolk, Va, area, has flamed out. Last month, U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie threw out the case against James along with separate charges against former FBI Director James Comey, after concluding that the lead prosecutor – handpicked by Trump to bring both cases – had been illegally appointed.

The Justice Department could make a third attempt to indict James.

​​"The grand jury’s refusal to re-indict Attorney General James is a decisive rejection of a case that should never have existed in the first place,” James’ lead defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement.

“A federal court threw this case out after President Trump illegally installed a U.S. Attorney to file baseless charges against Attorney General James that career prosecutors refused to bring. This should be the end of this case,” Lowell added. “If they continue, undeterred by a court ruling and a grand jury’s rejection of the charges, it will be a shocking assault on the rule of law and a devastating blow to the integrity of our justice system."