A grand jury declined for a second time to reindict New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday, refusing to resurrect a mortgage fraud prosecution encouraged by US President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter.
It is another major blow to the Justice Department after the dismissal of earlier charges against James and another long-time Trump foe, former FBI director James Comey, in a stunning rebuke of the Trump administration’s efforts to prosecute the president’s political opponents.
A judge threw out the original indictments against James and Comey in November, ruling that the prosecutor who presented to the grand jury, Lindsey Halligan, was illegally appointed US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
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The Justice Department asked a grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, to return an indictment Thursday after a different grand jury in Norfolk last week refused to do so.
The person who confirmed the failure to secure an indictment was not authorised to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The allegations related to James’ purchase of a modest house in Norfolk, where she has family.