In a striking move from the Oval Office, President Donald Trump on Friday called for the removal of Erik Siebert, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, over his handling of mortgage fraud allegations against New York Attorney General Letitia James, as The Hill reports.
The controversy centers on Trump's push to oust Siebert for resisting pressure to prosecute James, amid claims of political targeting and ethical concerns within the Justice Department.
The issue first surfaced earlier this week when ABC News reported that prosecutors faced pressure to bring charges against James, despite insufficient evidence to support the claims.
The allegations against James originated from the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA), headed by Trump ally Bill Pulte, who claimed that agency data revealed favorable mortgage terms for several Trump opponents. Among those named were James, Sen. Adam Schiff, and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, all of whom have denied any misconduct and labeled the investigations as driven by political motives.
Pulte specifically filed a referral in April concerning James’s property purchase in Norfolk, Virginia, alleging discrepancies in her mortgage application related to her residency status.
According to the FHFA referral, at the time of her 2023 Norfolk property purchase, James was serving as New York’s Attorney General and was legally required to maintain residency in New York.
The referral text stated, “At the time of the 2023 Norfolk, VA property purchase and mortgage, Ms. James was the siting Attorney General of New York and is required by law to have her primary residence in the state of New York -- even though her mortgage applications list her intent to have the Norfolk, VA property as her primary home.”
Pulte also raised additional claims of mortgage fraud tied to a property James owns in New York, further intensifying the scrutiny on her financial dealings.
Within the Justice Department, the case was partially assigned to Ed Martin, who leads the department’s Weaponization Working Group after failing Senate confirmation for a U.S. Attorney role.
Both Pulte and Martin have openly discussed the ongoing investigations, a practice considered unusual since no charges have been filed against James or the others named. Reports also surfaced that Martin was seen photographing James’s New York residence, an action critics argue violates ethical standards set by the Justice Department.
On Friday, Trump escalated the situation by publicly criticizing Siebert, stating in the Oval Office that he wanted the U.S. Attorney removed from his position. When directly asked if he sought to fire Siebert over the handling of the case, Trump responded, “Yeah, I want him out, yeah,” affirming his stance on the matter.
Trump further expressed disdain for the senators who approved Siebert, Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, calling them “among the worst” in his view.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department declined to comment on Friday regarding whether Siebert would face dismissal following Trump’s remarks.
Those targeted by the allegations, including James, Schiff, and Cook, have consistently pushed back against the claims, maintaining their innocence in the matter.
Schiff asserted that Trump misrepresented his situation with dual home ownership, while Cook, sharing legal representation with James, dismissed the accusations as “cut and paste” claims lacking originality or substance.