Who is Elizabeth Yusi? Prosecutor who rejected Donald Trump's push to indict Letitia James fired

Elizabeth Yusi, a longtime federal prosecutor in Virginia, has been fired after she declined to pursue charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James. Elizabeth Yusi – Prosecutor who rejected Donald Trump’s push to indict Letitia James Senior federal prosecutor Elizabeth Yusi, who opposed President Donald Trump’s effort to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, has been fired. Yusi, who led major criminal cases in the Norfolk office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, was fired Friday night along with her deputy, Kristin Bird. The decision came after Yusi reportedly pushed back against Trump’s calls to indict James, telling colleagues there was no probable cause to support the charges. Who is Elizabeth Yusi? Yusi’s dismissal marks an abrupt end to her distinguished 18-year career at the Department of Justice. A University of Virginia alumna with a law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law, Yusi began her career as a case manager at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children before joining major law firms including Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP and Squire Patton Boggs. She joined the United States DOJ in 2007 as a trial attorney and later became an assistant U.S. attorney in 2010, according to her LinkedIn profile. In Norfolk, she specialized in federal law. Clash with Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi and Kristin Bird’s firing came amid tensions in the Eastern District of Virginia, one of the nation’s most influential U.S. attorney’s offices. Newly appointed U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, a Trump loyalist, reportedly moved forward with an indictment against Letitia James despite opposition from career prosecutors, including Yusi, the NYT reported. According to the report, a grand jury indicted James on Oct. 9 on two counts of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution, alleging that she misrepresented the use of a Norfolk home as a secondary residence to secure better loan terms. However, James denied wrongdoing, calling the prosecution “a political weaponization of the Justice Department.” Wider unrest in the Eastern District Since Halligan’s appointment, the Eastern District of Virginia has seen a wave of layoffs. Erik S. Siebert, who was Halligan’s predecessor, resigned after being urged to avoid cases against James Comey, the former FBI director. Halligan then later obtained an indictment against Comey for lying to Congress and obstructing the proceedings. Other senior officials also resigned or were fired under political pressure, including Maya Song, the former first assistant US attorney, and Michael Ben’Ary, who was a prosecutor in a national security unit, the NYT report said. The Justice Department’s office did not share a response to Yusi’s termination. FAQ Q: Who is Elizabeth Yusi? A: Elizabeth Yusi is a veteran federal prosecutor who spent 18 years with the Department of Justice, most recently serving as the top criminal prosecutor in Norfolk, Virginia. Q: Why was Elizabeth Yusi fired? A: She was fired after refusing to bring fraud charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, citing a lack of probable cause. Q: Who replaced her? A: Her deputy, Kristin Bird, has also been fired, and replacements have not yet been announced.