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The Justice Department convened a grand jury to investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James, marking an escalation in President Donald Trump's battle with New York's top prosecutor.
The investigation has been exhausted from Albany, New York, and focused on allegations of possible disenfranchisement, two good resources familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital.
The investigation is in its early stages, but the Fox News Digital learned that James' office received a subpoena this week to obtain documents, including information related to her civil fraud lawsuit against Trump.
James, a Democrat, was elected attorney general in 2018 and has long been Trump's target. James successfully filed civil allegations against commercial fraud in 2022 and played a major role in challenging his current administration’s enforcement actions in court.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks at a press conference in New York on September 21, 2022. (Brittainy Newman, File/AP)
A James spokesman suggested that the Justice Department's actions were “weaponization” of its prosecution power.
“Any weaponization of the judicial system should disturb every American,” the spokesperson said. “We strongly support the successful lawsuit against the Trump Organization and the National Rifle Association, and we will continue to support the rights of New Yorkers.”
A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment.
James began investigating the Trump Organization shortly after taking office, eventually giving a $454 million verdict on the then-member president and some of Trump's executives, including his two sons.
A New York judge found that Trump and his business partners seriously exaggerated Trump's wealth to obtain favorable loans and other economic benefits. James said at the time that financial fraud was not a “harmless crime.”
“If ordinary New Yorkers enter the bank and submit fake documents, the government will throw the book at them, and the same is true for the former president,” James said.
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President Donald Trump speaks from the Oval Office in Washington, DC on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 (Alex Brandon/AP)
James has also been the leading figure in filing lawsuits, challenging the enforcement actions of the second Trump administration. James and other Democratic lawyers have filed lawsuits to fight restrictions on federally funded social programs, mass firing of federal employees, and restrictions on transgender care for minors and other matters.
Convening a grand jury is the first step in the investigation and has the potential to lead to an indictment. The team examined the evidence, including documents and witness interviews, and determined whether there were possible reasons for the possibility of filing the charges for someone. The process can take weeks or more, and historically, grand jury prosecution is much easier than later convictions.
News of the investigation came as tensions between Trump and James continued to intensify.
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In April, Trump's federal housing finance agency asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to conduct a mortgage fraud investigation into James, and the Justice Department conducted a separate investigation into the matter. According to the Washington Post, James received a subpoena as part of the investigation.
James denied the mortgage fraud charge.
In a message about mortgage enquiry, Trump called James a “quirky liar” about truth socialization.
“The totally corrupt politician Letitia James should immediately resign as the New York State Attorney General,” Trump wrote.
Maria Paronich of Fox News contributed to the story.
Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, covering the Department of Justice and legal affairs. Email story prompts to ashley.oliver@fox.com.