New York AG Letitia James pleads not guilty to mortgage fraud charges
New York Attorney General Letitia James stands silently during a press conference on October 21, 2025 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
(NORFOLK, Va.) — New York Attorney General Letitia James, appearing in a federal courtroom in Norfolk, Virginia, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of alleged mortgage fraud, after she was indicted earlier this month by President Donald Trump’s handpicked U.S. attorney.
James pleaded not guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution.
“Not guilty, judge, to both counts,” James said, entering the plea herself.
U.S. District Judge Jamar Walker set an initial trial date for Jan. 26, to which both the government and the defense agreed.
The trial is expected to take “no more” than two weeks, said government attorneys, who estimated they will call between 8 to 10 witnesses.
James was released on personal recognizance following the conclusion of the hearing.
Interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan — who Trump appointed just days after calling on the his attorney general to act “NOW!!!” to prosecute James and other political enemies — secured the indictment against James on Oct. 9. James successfully brought a civil fraud case against Trump last year and currently leads multiple lawsuits challenging his administration’s policies.
Halligan was named U.S. attorney by Trump after Trump ousted her predecessor, Erik Siebert, who sources say had expressed doubts internally about bringing cases against James and former FBI Director James Comey.
After attorneys representing James filed a motion challenging Halligan’s appointment as unlawful, Judge Walker ordered that the motion be consolidated with the already ongoing effort to disqualify her in the case against Comey, who was indicted last month on charges of making false statements to Congress, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Both James’ attorneys and the Justice Department supported the idea of consolidating the challenges, which will be considered by an out-of-district judge already appointed this week.
James, speaking outside the courthouse following her arraignment, said the justice system under President Trump has been “used as a tool of revenge” and is nothing but a “vehicle of retribution.”
“I want to thank you for your support,” James said. “But this is not about me. Yes, this is about all of us. Yeah. And about our justice system, which has been weaponized. Against a justice system, which has been a tool been used as a tool of revenge.”
“But my faith is strong. And my faith is, I have this belief in the justice system, in the rule of law,” James said.
Judge Walker, during the hearing, briefly discussed a motion from James’ attorneys ordering Halligan to make no more extrajudicial disclosures to the media following revelations that she sent Signal messages to a reporter about James’ case earlier this week.
Judge Walker noted there was no request to sanction Halligan for the messages, and Roger Keller, the DOJ prosecutor, said that if a requirement was placed on the government to keep a log of Halligan’s discussions with the media then a similar requirement should be made of James given her statements to the media.
James’ attorney Abbe Lowell argued there was a major difference between James voicing public statements under her First Amendment rights and Halligan having discussions about a case with a reporter over an encrypted application with a deletion schedule.
Judge Walker set a deadline of Nov. 1 for James to make her first filing on her claim of vindictive prosecution.
The charges James faces accuse her of committing mortgage fraud related to a home she purchased in 2020.
According to the indictment, James falsely described the property as a second home to get an advantageous mortgage rate, but used it as an “investment property,” rented to a family of three. The indictment alleged James collected thousands of dollars in rent and would have saved $17,837 over the life of the mortgage versus a loan at a higher rate.
“No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” Halligan said in a statement announcing the charges. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”
But in an internal memo to Siebert in September, prosecutors said James purchased the home in Norfolk, Virginia, for her great-niece and immediately allowed her and her children to begin living in the house rent-free, sources told ABC News. Prosecutors met with James’ niece, who stated that she had never signed a lease, had never paid rent for the home, and that James had often sent her money to cover some of the expenses, the memo concluded, according to sources familiar with its contents.
James’ indictment on Oct. 9 came between the indictments of Comey and former Trump national security adviser John Bolton amid what critics call Trump’s campaign of retribution against his perceived political foes.
Vice President JD Vance has said any such prosecutions are “driven by law and not by politics.”
If convicted, James faces a maximum of up to 30 years in prison per count, up to a $1 million fine on each count, and forfeiture of the property.
Members of the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service police provide security as Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, is brought before a judge at the federal courthouse for an initial appearance on September 16, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.) — Ryan Routh, who is representing himself as he faces charges of trying to kill Donald Trump on Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course last year, rested his defense at his trial in Florida Monday following some chaotic testimony.
Routh, who lacks any legal education or experience, was cut off multiple times by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon while questioning the three witnesses he called, two of whom testified about his character.
Routh declined to testify in his own defense. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Judge Cannon ended the day by warning Routh that she will bar him from further addressing the jury if his closing argument is “disconnected” from the evidence in the case.
“Any argument you make … must be reasonably tied to the admitted evidence. Do you understand?” Cannon asked Routh, telling him that any deviation will “cause a problem.”
“Yes, Your Honor,” Routh said.
‘Give it your worst’
Routh argued Monday that the witnesses testifying about his character would show the jury he was incapable of killing Trump — though it risked opening the door to prosecutors introducing potentially damaging information about him.
“Give it your worst,” Routh told Judge Cannon after she warned of the dangers of using character witnesses. “We can analyze every moment of my life. We are here to ascertain the truth; we are going to give the jury everything.”
Routh then called to the stand his longtime friend Marshall Hinshaw, who told the jury that he has known Routh for twenty years as both a friend and coworker.
“Is it safe to say you knew everything in my life, and I know everything in your life?” Routh asked.
“I think so,” Hinshaw said.
“Is it your personal opinion of me that I am peaceful and gentle, and nonviolent?” Routh asked.
“I would say so,” Hinshaw said. “I would not expect you to harm anyone, Ryan.”
Routh proceeded to ask Hinshaw about how he treated his employees, his involvement in his community, whether his ex-wife was “not the easiest person to work with,” and his parenting style.
“Would you say I was a decent parent?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” Hinshaw said.
“You are not aware of me hitting or spanking my children?” Routh asked.
“No, maybe the other way around,” Hinshaw said.
“On the worst days when everything was falling apart, was I calm or patient?” Routh asked.
“Everyone looked up to you and respected you in that circle,” Hinshaw said before Cannon intervened.
“This must cease,” the judge said. “I am going to ask you to wrap up.”
“You always took care of people,” Hinshaw said. “You were the No. 1 person in my phone … you were great for me.”
During a brief cross-examination, a federal prosecutor sought to highlight that Hinshaw stopped seeing Routh regularly after 2017. He also asked if the allegations against Routh — including that he allegedly vowed to kill the Trump so he “cannot get reelected” — would change his impression of his longtime friend.
Hinshaw largely stood by Routh and pushed back when prosecutors sought to highlight Hinshaw’s rap sheet of larceny offenses.
“Like many people in America, I got addicted to drugs,” Hinshaw explained to the jury.
When Hinshaw concluded his cross-examination, he briefly flashed Routh the peace sign while leaving court.
‘You have always been a jolly person’
Routh’s second witness was Atwell Milsun, a longtime friend of Routh’s son Oren.
“Would you consider me to be gentle, and peaceful and nonviolent?” Routh again asked.
“I have never seen you as a violent person,” Milsun said. “Under stress, you have always been a jolly person.”
Routh then asked Milsun about Routh’s involvement in the community, including his helping employ others, lending people money, and assisting with community projects. “We are not talking about the police,” Routh joked.
“Did I do enough?” Routh asked Milsun about his involvement in the community.
“You did everything you could,” Milsun said.
Judge Cannon susequently cut off Routh’s questions, saying, “It’s crossed the line many times.”
‘I am not going to guess that’
Routh began his defense with a meandering direct examination of a firearms expert who tested the weapon allegedly used for the assassination attempt.
Routh attempted to focus his questions on the low likelihood that his assassination attempt would be successful because of issues with his weapon and the location of his alleged sniper perch.
Michael McClay, a Marine Corps veteran and expert in sniper tactics, noted that the firearm — a Chinese-made variant of the AK-47 — would routinely misfire, that the rifle’s scope appeared to be secured with a combination of putty, tape, and glue, that Routh was poorly camouflaged, and that hitting a target from 300 yards away would be difficult.
“Is there any way you could put a chance of success rate?” Routh asked.
“With the severity and seriousness of this, I am not going to guess that,” McClay responded.
“I respect that,” Routh said.
Despite McClay testifying as a defense witness, he appeared to be confused by many of Routh’s questions and declined to answer at times.
“Did you suffer mental anguish from being shot at?” Routh asked McClay, a veteran who saw combat.
“I don’t wish to answer that,” McClay said.
The main thrust of Routh’s direct examination of McClay was Routh’s suggestion that the assassination attempt would have failed due to his own incompetence and his being a self-described “coward.” Prosecutors had argued that Routh planned his attempt for months and set up a sniper’s perch with body armor to ensure that he would be able to shoot Trump.
“If someone is not dedicated to their mission 100%, is an exit plan vital to those who are cowards?” he asked McClay.
“I don’t understand,” McClay said.
“In your experience in the military, does it take a special type of person to take another person’s life?” Routh asked, prompting Judge Aileen Cannon to cut off the question.
After Judge Cannon criticized Routh for the “tenor” and “clear impropriety” of the question, Routh unsuccessfully argued that the question demonstrates he would not follow through with the assassination attempt.
“This whole case revolves around intent and state of mind … whether someone has the capacity [to kill],” Routh argued.
Prosecutors briefly cross-examined McClay to highlight how the weapon’s misfiring could be attributed to testing done on the gun after the shooting. The FBI used acid to try to recover the gun’s serial number, which had been scratched off.
‘That information is relevant’
Because Routh called two witnesses who spoke about character, prosecutors said they may seek to elicit testimony about some of Routh’s other alleged bad acts, including his alleged calls to kill politicians, like Trump, as well as his neighbors in Hawaii; racially offensive statements he allegedly made; and statements prosecutors say he made about his assassination plans in which he allegedly said he was “not going to go down easy for law enforcement” and that he would “shoot first.”
“If the defendant is going to try to develop he is nonviolent, that information is relevant,” prosecutor John Shipley said.
Routh, in earlier court filings, broadly described his defense strategy as emphasizing his “gentleness, peacefulness, and nonviolent caring for humanity.”
Among the exhibits Routh planned to use were a design for a DIY skatepark, videos and photos showing him recruiting and fundraising for the Ukrainian military, a photo of a flash mob he organized, and a church bulletin from 1980 when he was awarded an Eagle Scout award.
At the conclusion of Routh’s defense, federal prosecutors suggested they might not present a rebuttal case but said they have not made a final decision.
Judge Cannon — who has repeatedly clashed with Routh over his unusual courtroom tactics — curtailed much of Routh’s defense by blocking many of his proposed witnesses, including an ex-girlfriend and several Palestinian scholars, and prohibiting him from arguing that his actions were justified or that he would not have followed through with the assassination attempt.
Routh’s unorthodox defense case follows seven days of testimony from 38 witnesses called by federal prosecutors seeking to prove Routh came within a few hundred yards of killing then-candidate Trump on Sept. 15. Jurors heard from the Secret Service agent who said he spotted Routh hiding in the bushes of Trump’s golf course with an assault rifle, the man who illegally sold the gun to Routh, and a series of law enforcement witnesses who tied Routh’s fingerprints and DNA to the gun abandoned at the crime scene.
FBI agents also testified that Trump would have been less than 130 feet from Routh had Routh not been spotted by a Secret Service agent. Routh’s rifle, they argued, can hit a target ten times that, and the shot could have been made without a scope.
Two brothers who worked with Routh also testified about receiving a box from him in April 2024 — five months before the alleged assassination attempt — that contained wires, pipes, and bullets. After Routh’s arrest, the brothers said they opened the box to find a 12-page letter that prosecutors argue amounts to a confession from Routh.
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job,” the handwritten letter said.
Routh has argued that the letter does not describe the alleged assassination attempt.
At the conclusion of the government’s case on Friday, Routh argued that prosecutors had failed to prove their case and that Judge Cannon, who previously oversaw and dismissed one of Trump’s criminal cases, should toss the case. Routh claimed that the area in the bushes where he was allegedly found was a public area where anyone could carry a gun.
“They maybe proved that someone was outside the fence with a gun, but the gun was never fired,” Routh argued.
Judge Cannon denied Routh’s motion, concluding that prosecutors have provided enough evidence to let the jury decide the case.
Martin County Sheriff’s Office/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images
(FORT PIERCE, Fla.) — Jurors in the criminal trial of the man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump on his golf course last year are set to hear testimony Friday from five law enforcement witnesses, concluding a chaotic start to the case that could send the alleged assassin to prison for the rest of his life.
While prosecutors originally estimated needing about three weeks to conclude their case against 59-year-old Ryan Routh, they signaled on Thursday that their case might conclude sooner than planned because of the quick pace of the first few witnesses’ testimony.
Routh, who is representing himself despite not being a lawyer or having any legal training, has not yet objected to any of the questions posed by prosecutors during the direct examination of witnesses, and his cross-examinations have been usually short.
“I’m very simple-minded, yes,” Routh told U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon Thursday when she inquired about his plans to cross-examine future witnesses.
Routh has been rebuked several times by Cannon after making unexpected and off-topic comments. During opening statements Thursday, Routh launched into a speech about the origin of the human species, global conflicts, and his political grievances, before the judge cut him off after about six minutes for making arguments that she said have “absolutely nothing to do with the evidence in this case.”
Jurors at the trial in Fort Pierce, Florida, heard Thursday from the Secret Service agent who confronted an armed Routh on the golf course before Routh fled, and a witness who identified Routh to police.
Prosecutors allege that Routh put together a methodical plan — including purchasing a military-grade weapon, researching Trump’s movements, and utilizing a dozen burner phones — to kill Trump based on political grievances.
Hiding in the bushes of Trump’s Palm Beach golf course and armed with a rifle, Routh allegedly came within a few hundred yards of the then-presidential nominee before a Secret Service agent spotted his rifle poking out of the tree line.
Routh allegedly fled the scene but was later arrested by a local sheriff’s office on a nearby interstate.
He faces five criminal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm as a felon, and using a gun with a defaced serial number.
(MULTNOMAH COUNTY, Ore.) — A manhunt is now underway in Oregon for a murder suspect who was mistakenly released from prison on Monday, with officials calling the error “unacceptable,” according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
“This should not have happened,” Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell said during a press conference on Wednesday.
Ty Anthony Sage, a 26-year-old who was facing second-degree murder and first-degree robbery charges, was accidentally released on bail on Monday, the sheriff said.
Sage, who was arrested back on May 20 in connection with the death of 15-year-old Lowgunn Ivey, received an initial release order that was signed on Sept. 17 which “indicated his bail had been set to $5,000,” the sheriff said.
But according to court documents obtained by ABC News, Sage had actually been denied bail in this case.
Officials are now conducting a “review of the incident” to have a “full understanding of what occurred,” the sheriff said.
“This individual should not have been released,” the sheriff said. “We hold the ultimate responsibility for a person’s release. In this case, we fell short. But we are committed to do everything we can to restore community trust and confidence in our organization.”
She said the employees involved in Sage’s release “acted in good faith based on the information that they had at the time.”
Morrisey O’Donnell said no employees have been placed on leave at this point and did not provide any information on where law enforcement resources are looking for Sage.
She also urged Sage to turn himself in.
Law enforcement partners “across the state” are now trying to figure out “where Sage went upon his release and where he is located now,” the sheriff said.
The victim’s mother, Jodie Ramsey, told ABC Portland affiliate KATU that she is “on complete edge all the time now” since Sage’s accidental release. Ivey’s death is allegedly related to a “gun and drug deal” between the victim and Sage, according to court documents.
“I went to his arraignment. I was there for his bail hearing, where he was denied bail, and here I sit wondering what’s gonna happen next,” Ramsey told KATU about the suspect.
Ivey was allegedly killed on Dec. 4, 2021, according to court documents. It is unclear whether Sage has offered a plea in the case.
Officials said they believe Sage’s release is an isolated incident and said the community is not at risk “at this point.”
Sage is described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall with blonde hair and blue eyes, according to booking information.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
