New York AG James pleads not guilty to both federal bank fraud charges, Jan 26 court date set

New York Attorney General Letitia James reportedly pleaded not guilty Friday in a Virginia court to two charges of federal bank fraud. 

The judge set a trial date of Jan. 26, 2026.

"Not guilty judge to both counts," James reportedly said in the hearing at the federal Eastern District of Virginia court. 

The Justice Department indicted James earlier this month, alleging that she misrepresented how she would use a house she bought in 2020 in Norfolk, southeast Virginia, so she could obtain a lower interest rate on her mortgage, CBS News reported. 

According to the indictment, instead of using the property as a second home, she allegedly rented it to a family member, treating it as an investment property, in contravention of the mortgage terms. 

U.S. District Judge Jamar Walker, a Biden appointee, is overseeing the case.

James has called the charges "baseless."

"This is nothing more than a continuation of the president's desperate weaponization of our justice system," she said before the hearing.

James' attorney, Abbe Lowell, said before the hearing that his client "flatly and forcefully denies these charges," and that he is "deeply concerned that this case is driven by President Trump's desire for revenge."