US Justice Department fails to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James for the second time this week

What happened on Thursday

A federal grand jury rejected the latest attempt by the US Justice Department to bring charges against James, NBC News reported, citing a federal law enforcement source and another person familiar with the matter.

This was the department’s third unsuccessful attempt to prosecute her. It followed pressure from the US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly targeted James since she investigated his business.

Last month, a federal judge dismissed earlier mortgage-related charges against James. The judge also threw out unrelated charges against former FBI Director James Comey after ruling that the prosecutor in both cases, Lindsey Halligan, had been unlawfully appointed as interim US attorney.

According to NBC News, prosecutors also tried last week to secure a new indictment in Norfolk, Virginia, but the grand jury there declined as well.

‘Department of Justice has failed in its attempt’

James’ lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said the repeated failure to indict showed that the case lacked merit.

“For the second time in seven days, the Department of Justice has failed in its clear attempt to fulfil President Trump’s political vendetta against Attorney General James,” he said. “This case should never have seen the light of day.”

Lowell added: “Any further attempt to revive these charges would be a mockery of our system of justice.”

Before her first case was dismissed, James had pleaded not guilty to allegations linked to a mortgage on a Norfolk home. The Trump administration claimed she saved about $50 a month by declaring the property as her second residence.

Career prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia had earlier advised that the case was too weak to move forward. NBC News reported that Trump’s nominee to lead the office, Erik Siebert, resigned after facing pressure from the president to pursue charges.