Federal Prosecutor Resigns Amid Pressure from Trump Administration: Erik Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, stepped down after a stalled mortgage fraud investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James. The resignation follows reported White House pressure to indict James, raising concerns about political influence on the Department of Justice
Federal prosecutor Erik Siebert resigned from his prestigious Eastern District of Virginia post under pressure from the Trump administration, praising his colleagues but remaining silent on the preceding political turmoil. His departure follows a stalled mortgage fraud investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James and amid White House efforts to influence prosecutorial decisions, raising concerns about the Justice Department's independence
Trump Administration ousts U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert from prestigious Eastern District of Virginia amid pressure to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James. Siebert's resignation follows President Trump's public demand for his removal and a push from administration officials to pursue charges against James, a known Trump adversary who successfully sued him for fraud. This controversial move raises concerns about White House influence on the Justice Department and the weaponization of prosecutorial power
Trump administration ousts Virginia prosecutor, raising concerns about White House influence on Justice Department investigations. The resignation of U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert follows pressure to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Trump adversary. This action fuels fears of political retribution and weaponization of the Justice Department, undermining its independence from White House influence on prosecutorial decisions
Virginia's U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert Resigns Amidst Political Pressure; Trump Administration Seeks Replacement. Siebert's departure, following a stalled investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James, leaves the prestigious Eastern District of Virginia office without a leader. His top deputy, Maya Song, is also resigning, transitioning to a line prosecutor role. The unexpected resignations raise concerns about political influence on the Justice Department
Justice Department officials remained silent regarding the resignation of U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert
Trump administration pressure led to the resignation of a Virginia federal prosecutor investigating New York Attorney General Letitia James. Months of investigation into alleged mortgage fraud related to James' properties yielded no incriminating evidence leading to charges. This raises concerns about political interference in the Justice Department and the weaponization of prosecutorial power
Trump Calls for Prosecutor's Resignation Amid James Investigation: Federal prosecutor Erik Siebert, investigating New York Attorney General Letitia James, resigned Friday under pressure from the Trump administration. President Trump, without evidence, suggested James's guilt, citing his concern over Siebert's support from Democratic senators. This action raises concerns about White House influence on the Justice Department and potential weaponization of prosecutorial power for political retribution
Attorney General Letitia James' legal team vehemently denies all allegations of mortgage fraud, calling the investigation politically motivated retribution
Trump Administration Pressured Prosecutor Siebert's Resignation: ABC News was first to report White House pressure on prosecutors to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, leading to the resignation of U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert. This controversial move raises concerns about political interference in the Justice Department and weaponization of prosecutorial power
Trump's longstanding feud with New York Attorney General Letitia James intensified after a lawsuit she filed against him resulted in a significant financial penalty. Although an appeals court overturned the penalty last month, it upheld a finding of Trump's decades-long fraud involving wealth exaggeration, further fueling the conflict
Federal Prosecutor Resigns Amidst Controversial Letitia James Investigation: The investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James took a bizarre turn when DOJ's Weaponization Working Group leader, Ed Martin, urged James' resignation and was later seen near her home in a trench coat, sparking accusations of political interference. This unusual development followed the resignation of U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert, under pressure from the Trump administration, further fueling concerns of DOJ weaponization and White House influence on prosecutorial decisions
Attorney General Letitia James's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, denounced the demand for her resignation, citing violations of Justice Department standards, professional responsibility codes, and legal ethics
Federal prosecutor's resignation highlights Trump administration pressure to weaponize Justice Department investigations for political retribution, violating established policies against using prosecutorial power for partisan ends or political revenge
Erik Siebert, a former D.C. police officer and respected U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, resigned under pressure from the Trump administration. Nominated by President Trump in 2019 with bipartisan support from Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Siebert's decade-long tenure at this elite Justice Department office, known for high-profile national security and criminal cases, ended amidst controversy surrounding an investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James
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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____ Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report.
Source: Original Article