MSNBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos warned that New York Attorney General Letitia James should be concerned about a reported DOJ investigation into whether she violated President Donald Trump’s civil rights through her lawsuit against him. The U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York has issued subpoenas related to James’ civil fraud case against Trump and the NRA. Cevallos noted that grand jury investigations are broad and can uncover unrelated incriminating evidence.

“There is nothing scarier for a citizen than to get a subpoena or find out they’re being investigated by a federal criminal grand jury,” Cevallos said, explaining that investigators might stumble upon unknown issues while reviewing extensive documents. He stressed that while James might not have done anything wrong, the scrutiny of financial and business records could reveal unexpected findings.

James, who campaigned on investigating Trump, filed a lawsuit in 2022 accusing him of inflating real estate values. In February 2024, she won a ruling ordering Trump to pay over $450 million in penalties. James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, condemned the DOJ probe as a politically motivated attack.

Separately, on May 8, the FBI and U.S. Attorney launched a formal investigation into James over alleged mortgage fraud, appointing special prosecutor Ed Martin to oversee the case alongside one involving U.S. Senator Adam Schiff.

Both James and Schiff are accused of misrepresenting their residences to secure better mortgage rates. Documents suggest James listed her father as her husband and undercounted property units, while Schiff delayed reporting his Maryland home as a secondary residence.

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