Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said on Thursday that President Donald Trump is "openly seeking revenge on his political opponents," pointing to the federal indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James as the latest example of what she called an escalating use of the Justice Department against critics.
Warren Cites James Indictment As Retaliatory Example
Her remarks came hours after a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia charged James with bank fraud and making false statements tied to a 2020 mortgage, a case critics say the White House pushed prosecutors to pursue, according to a report by The Washington Post.
"The President of the United States is openly seeking revenge on his political opponents. First Jim Comey. Now Tish James. Anyone who seeks to hold Donald Trump accountable could be next. Trump is ripping a page right out of the authoritarian handbook," Warren wrote on X.
Prosecutors Detail Mortgage Allegations Against Letitia James
Prosecutors allege James misrepresented a Norfolk, Va., property as a secondary residence to obtain favorable loan terms and instead used it as a rental, saving roughly $19,000. James, who won a civil fraud case against Trump that was later reduced on appeal, called the charges "nothing more than a continuation of the president's desperate weaponization of our justice system," and said they are "baseless." An initial court appearance is set for Oct. 24 in Norfolk.
Broader Fallout Includes Comey Case, GOP Caution
The indictment follows last month's charges against former FBI Director James Comey. He pleaded not guilty Wednesday to counts of lying to and obstructing Congress. His lawyer said he will seek dismissal as a vindictive and selective prosecution.
Administration allies say the cases are driven by facts, not politics, and note grand juries approved the charges. A Financial Times report states that the department denies politicization even as newly installed U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, a Trump ally with little prior prosecutorial experience, signed the James indictment.
Democratic leaders blasted the move. "This is what tyranny looks like," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, accusing Trump of using DOJ as a "personal attack dog." Some Republicans urged caution too. "Whatever threshold gets set here is the new floor for future prosecutions when roles are reversed," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told CNN.
Separately, a New York Times account says more targets may be under scrutiny, including former national security adviser John Bolton and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), highlighting the wider political fallout from the James case.
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