The Trump administration has made new criminal referrals to the Department of Justice targeting New York Attorney General Letitia James, Fox News has confirmed.
The referrals were submitted by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte and allege potential insurance fraud tied to properties linked to James. They have been sent to U.S. attorneys in Florida and, reportedly, Illinois for review.
The Department of Justice confirmed receiving the referrals. "The Department of Justice can confirm that referrals were received by our U.S. Attorney Offices," a DOJ spokesperson told Fox News.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservatives have praised the administration's pursuit of what they frame as accountability for potential financial crimes. Bill Pulte, the FHFA director making the referral, is a Trump appointee who has taken an active role in examining potential fraud.
In one of the criminal referrals, Pulte alleged that James "may have falsified information on her homeowners insurance application" to Universal Property Insurance, a Fort Lauderdale-based company. The referral cites social media posts from Mike Davis, a longtime attorney and ally to President Donald Trump, as the basis for the investigation.
What the Left Is Saying
Democrats and progressive allies have characterized the referrals as part of a pattern of politically motivated prosecutions against James, who has been a frequent target of the Trump administration. Supporters note that previous bank fraud charges against James were dismissed late last year by a Clinton-appointed federal judge, and a grand jury in Virginia later refused to re-indict her.
Progressive commentators have argued that the referrals represent an escalation of what they describe as retaliatory legal action against a sitting state attorney general who has pursued significant cases against the former president and his associates. James's office has not yet responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
What the Numbers Show
This is at least the third criminal referral related to James that has been made during the Trump administration. Previous bank fraud charges were dismissed by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, a Clinton appointee who found the indictments were illegitimate because they were brought by an unqualified U.S. attorney.
The criminal referral has been transmitted to Jason Quinones, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. His office will determine whether to move forward with a prosecution, which would require seeking a grand jury indictment.
The Bottom Line
The new criminal referrals represent an escalation in the ongoing legal scrutiny of New York Attorney General Letitia James by the Trump administration. The Florida U.S. attorney's office will now determine whether there is sufficient evidence to pursue charges, a process that could take weeks or months. James's office has not yet publicly responded to the latest referrals, and her attorney could not be reached for comment. The case will likely continue to generate significant political debate as it develops.