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Erik Siebert, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, resigned on Friday amid pressure from the Trump administration to launch an investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James for alleged mortgage fraud.
Siebert will be replaced by a new appointee, two sources familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The New York Times also reported on the resignation Friday evening.
The president told reporters earlier on Friday that he wanted Siebert “out.”
“He was approved by two Democrat senators who, in my opinion, are among the worst,” President Trump said.
Siebert had recently told senior Justice Department officials that his office found insufficient evidence to charge James, according to The Times.
Trump has raged against James since she brought criminal charges against his business empire in New York. A New York appeals court threw out the roughly $500 million civil fraud penalty against Trump in that case last month, but it declined to toss the case entirely.
The case against James is based on a referral from the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA), run by Trump ally Bill Pulte, who has tapped agency data in alleging several Trump foes wrongfully obtained more favorable loan conditions.
Beyond James, Pulte also accused Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, of similar mortgage fraud.
All have denied wrongdoing and described the investigations as a clear effort to target those the president perceived as enemies.
Pulte in Aril first made a criminal referral on James’s Virginia mortgage.
“At the time of the 2023 Norfolk, VA property purchase and mortgage, Ms. James was the siting Attorney General of New York and is required by law to have her primary residence in the state of New York—even though her mortgage applications list her intent to have the Norfolk, VA property as her primary home,” his agency wrote in its referral, which was obtained by The Hill.
Within the Justice Department, the case was in part given to Ed Martin, a figure who failed to be confirmed by the Senate for a U.S. Attorney role and was then instead tapped to lead the new Weaponization Working Group at the Justice Department.
Both Pulte and Martin have been vocal in discussing the cases – something investigators are typically hesitant to do before any charges have been filed.
Asked about the issue at the White House Friday, Trump, without citing any evidence, said, “It looks to me like she’s really guilty of something, but I really don’t know.”
