FBI launches criminal probe into New York attorney general: Report

WASHINGTON

The US Justice Department launched a criminal fraud investigation Thursday into New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to a report.

The FBI is leading the investigation, which is being overseen by the Justice Department and its Albany FBI field office, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.

The probe was initiated after William Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, sent a letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi alleging that James "has, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire government-backed assistance and loans and more favorable loan terms," it reported.

The allegations include listing a home in Virginia as her "principal residence" despite living and working in New York and using a loan for a five-unit Brooklyn property that is only available for buildings with four units or fewer.

James has denied the claims, calling them “baseless.”

Abbe Lowell, an attorney for James, told CBS News that the investigation "appears to be the political retribution President (Donald) Trump threatened to exact that AG Bondi assured the Senate would not occur on her watch. If prosecutors are genuinely interested in the truth, we are prepared to meet false claims with facts."

WASHINGTON

The US Justice Department launched a criminal fraud investigation Thursday into New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to a report.

The FBI is leading the investigation, which is being overseen by the Justice Department and its Albany FBI field office, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.

James has denied the claims, calling them “baseless.”