Trump officials removed the US attorney about the James investigation

Trump administration officials told the top prosecutor for the Eastern Virginia district that he would be removed from his post, after he did not bring charges of mortgage fraud against the attorney -general of New York, Letitia James, according to two people familiar with the case. Erik Siebert, who nominated President Donald Trump as a US lawyer in May, was asked by administrative officials to prosecute James for allegations that she had committed fraud related to a home she owned in Virginia, one of the people said, who both asked not to be mentioned. Siebert’s office told officials that he had not found sufficient evidence to charge James, the person said. Siebert is a career prosecutor who started serving at the US Attorney Office in Richmond in 2010. It is possible that he will continue to work as a federal prosecutor in that office after being removed from the top post. The Department of Justice, the offices of Siebert and James refused to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ABC reported earlier on moving the administration to Oust Siebert. The investigation of the Department of Justice to James stems from claims by the director of federal housing financing agency Bill Pulte that she may have committed mortgage fraud based on the residence status she listed on applications. James, who led a successful prosecution of civil fraud against Trump, denied offenses. In 2024, James won a $ 454 million civil fraud case against Trump and his company before being elected. An Appeal Court in New York decreased the financial fine in August, but the finding that Trump has violated the law confirmed by blowing up the value of his assets. The Trump administration has targeted several Democrats in an effort led by the Justice Department of Justice, Ed Martin on the allegations of the mortgage fraud, including James, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and Senator Adam Schiff in California. All three denied that they had committed fraud. Martin was appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the so-called weapon group of the department. It was formed following an executive order by Trump “the termination of the federal government’s weapons.” The Justice Department opened a separate investigation into James on the case of civil fraud she won against Trump. Trump said in August he fired Cook for allegations of mortgage fraud, who asked her to file a lawsuit in retaliation. A Federal Judge in Washington issued a decision that Cook could stay in her position for now. Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to fire him as the case continues. Schiff was one of Trump’s most important antagonists dating from his first administration. President Joe Biden forgave Schiff and others who served on a special house committee who investigated the attack on January 6, 2021 by Trump supporters. Siebert spent his career in the ranks of the US Attorney Office in the Eastern District of Virginia. The Trump administration named him interim US lawyer in January. His interim appointment expired in May, after which Trump nominated him to be confirmed by the Senate. Federal judges in the Eastern District of Virginia unanimously installed him as a US lawyer in May while waiting for the Senate’s approval. With the help of Josh Wingrove and Erik Larson. © 2025 Bloomberg MP This article was generated from an automatic news agency feed without edits to text.