New York Attorney General Letitia James is now under federal investigation, with two subpoenas issued as part of a grand jury probe examining her conduct in the high-profile $454 million civil fraud case against former President Donald Trump and her aggressive pursuit of the National Rifle Association.

The investigation, spearheaded by Acting Albany U.S. Attorney John Sarcone in coordination with the FBI, was launched in May and is now intensifying. Sources say the grand jury is probing potential violations of civil rights laws and abuse of prosecutorial power. One subpoena reportedly targets records tied to the civil fraud judgment James’s office secured against Trump—still under review by an appellate court. The second subpoena seeks documents related to her long-running investigation into the NRA and other internal files.

While details remain under wraps, the probe appears to have been triggered in part by a formal referral from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte. In April, Pulte accused James of falsifying mortgage records to secure favorable loan terms on two properties—one in Norfolk, Virginia, and another in Brooklyn—allegations James has denied as “baseless.”

“If average Americans submitted false documents to a bank, they’d be prosecuted. The same must apply to powerful public officials,” Pulte’s referral letter read, warning that the conduct could rise to criminal charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, and making false statements to financial institutions.

James, who has built her political brand on targeting Trump and the gun lobby, fired back in a statement through a spokesperson: “Any weaponization of the justice system should disturb every American. We stand strongly behind our successful litigation against the Trump Organization and the NRA and will continue to fight for New Yorkers’ rights.”

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik said Friday the Department of Justice’s investigation is “a vital step toward justice,” adding: “Letitia James is about to learn firsthand what ‘no one is above the law’ really means.
“She’s a disaster for New York,” Trump said of James during a May 6 rally. “She’s a horrible human being—and I think she’s a total crook.”

The embattled attorney general, who previously retained former Hunter Biden lawyer Abbe Lowell, has accused Trump of launching a politically motivated “revenge tour” since his return to the White House. In a letter to the DOJ earlier this year, Lowell argued the investigation amounted to political retaliation and vowed to meet “false claims with facts.”

“This appears to be the political retribution President Trump threatened to exact,” Lowell wrote.

Meanwhile, eyebrows were raised in Albany when lawmakers quietly inserted a $10 million provision into this year’s state budget to help cover legal fees for public officials like James who face investigations unrelated to their official duties. James’s office confirmed she intends to use both public and private funds to defend herself.

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