The New York Attorney General’s Office has hired attorney Abbe Lowell to defend Attorney General Letitia James against fraud accusations. Lowell, a high-powered attorney who has represented various political figures, will represent James as a private citizen, not under his law firm. William Pulte, U.S. Federal Housing Director, has requested the Department of Justice to investigate and potentially prosecute James for allegedly falsifying bank documents to obtain more favorable loans. Lowell sent a letter to the DOJ urging them to reject Pulte’s request, citing it as politically motivated retribution from the Trump administration in response to James’ civil case against Donald Trump for allegedly inflating asset values.
Lowell’s letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi highlighted the hypocrisy of Trump’s claims of the Justice Department being politicized, as now he is allegedly using the same practices against James. Lowell pointed to instances where Trump has called for revenge and personally attacked James. He addressed the specific allegations, such as James listing a Virginia home as her primary residence while serving in New York, stating it was a mistake in a power-of-attorney letter and that James had indicated to her lender that it would not be her primary residence in other documentation. Another accusation of fraud against James involves inflating the number of livable units in a Brooklyn residence to receive better interest rates, with Lowell accusing Pulte of disregarding updated documentation.
The attorney general’s office reportedly indicated that hiring Lowell to defend James was partly based on their belief that the Trump administration is pushing for politically motivated criminal referrals. The decision to hire Lowell came after James brought a civil case against Trump last year for allegedly inflating asset values to obtain favorable loans. Lowell’s hiring sparked questions about whether taxpayer dollars would be used to compensate him, as the attorney general’s office stopped answering inquiries from Fox News Digital. Lowell sent a letter to the DOJ in response to the criminal referral from Pulte, denouncing it as improper political retribution aimed at James.
Lowell has represented high-profile political figures on both sides of the aisle, including Hunter Biden, Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, former Sen. Bob Mendez, and Bill Clinton. The hiring of such a renowned attorney like Lowell indicates the seriousness of the fraud accusations against James. The allegations, including the falsification of bank documents and inflating the number of livable units in a residence, point to potential legal challenges ahead for the attorney general. The defense strategy and actions taken by Lowell in response to the accusations will be closely monitored, as they may have implications for James and her role as New York Attorney General.
