When elected officials are caught filing false mortgage declarations, omitting debts from mandatory disclosures, and claiming residences in multiple states, the public deserves straight answers. But instead of transparency, New York Attorney General Letitia James has offered nothing but calculated deflections and conspiracy-laced misdirection. In recent interviews with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes podcast “Why Is This Happening” and NY1’s Errol Louis, James dismissed overwhelming documented evidence as a “political hit job”—without addressing a single factual contradiction. More troubling still: these journalists didn’t just fail to challenge her—they actively ran interference, shielding a powerful official from the very accountability she demands of others.
The Interview That Exposed Media Complicity
On April 17, 2025, Errol Louis conducted an interview with Letitia James on NY1’s “Inside City Hall.” Before James could even speak, Louis poisoned the well by dismissing the documented evidence as partisan gossip:
It says according to media reports, which for us in the media is kind of a red flag, meaning that it seems to be based on some social media posts that I know were made by partisan political actors.
With this framing, Louis effectively declared the evidence unworthy of examination before James had to answer a single question. He then asked about her Brooklyn property: “They’re saying that your house in Brooklyn is a legal five family, and the mortgage on it is for a four-family house. Is that true?”
James’s response wasn’t just evasive—it was a masterclass in saying nothing while sounding authoritative:
Let me just say that, Errol, as any good attorney, I will not litigate this case in front of a camera. It’s important that we respond to these allegations at the appropriate time and in an appropriate way. But I will not go back and forth with respect to these baseless allegations.
The Twitter Confrontation That Followed
Full disclosure: I am Sam Antar, the author of this investigation. I am a registered Democrat with a decades-long history of supporting Democratic candidates and causes. I have zero connection to Donald Trump or his administration, have never met or communicated with him, and my research is conducted independently based solely on publicly available documents.
After the interview aired, I directly challenged Louis on Twitter:
@SamAntar: “Good evening, @errollouis. You gave @NewYorkStateAG Letitia James airtime on your show to misdirect the public — letting her blame Donald Trump and ‘partisan actors’ for her own fraud, without a single critical question. You didn’t challenge her. You echoed her… Invite me on your show with Letitia James and let’s hash this out, face-to-face, for all of New York to see.”
Louis’s response confirmed that I was the “partisan political actor” he had referenced:
@errollouis: “Sam: What @realDonaldTrump wanted was a headline saying @NewYorkStateAG is accused of fraud, and you helped make that happen. The facts are not terribly interesting IMO (see editorial) and @TheJusticeDept has the case now. Let’s see what they find.”
I fired back:
@SamAntar: “Errol — what @realDonaldTrump wanted has nothing to do with the facts. Letitia James filed false disclosures, signed false mortgage documents, misrepresented property details, and financially benefited from all of it. The record is public. The signatures are hers… If they’re so dull, why not debate them on air? Invite me and @NewYorkStateAG on your show. Side by side. Let the public watch. Because if she’s innocent and I’m wrong — what’s there to be afraid of?”
The “partisan political actor” label is particularly misleading. This investigation isn’t politically motivated—it’s about accountability regardless of party affiliation. My concern is with a pattern of financial misconduct by a public official, not with partisan politics. I’ve consistently held this position throughout my career as a forensic accounting expert, regardless of the political party involved.
“Baseless Allegations” vs. Incontrovertible Evidence
James labels these findings “baseless” while journalists nod along. Yet the documentary evidence is overwhelming and speaks for itself:
- The January 2001 Certificate of Occupancy classifies her Brooklyn property as a five-family dwelling.
- Her mortgage documents describe it as having four or fewer units.
- Utility records confirm five distinct residential meters plus one for the common area—six total.
- Building permit filings misrepresent the unit count repeatedly.
These aren’t subjective interpretations or political opinions—they’re black-and-white contradictions in legal filings bearing James’s signature.
The Legal Stakes: Why Unit Count Matters
This isn’t some technical paperwork error. For over two decades, every single mortgage document James has executed on her Brooklyn property—all ten distinct mortgage applications, refinances, and modifications since purchasing it in 2001—contained falsified unit information. Without exception, each filing represented the property as having four units or fewer, despite the official Certificate of Occupancy classifying it as a five-family dwelling.
This systematic misrepresentation allowed James to access mortgage products exclusively reserved for 1–4 unit properties—including the federal HAMP program in 2011, which explicitly prohibited properties with more than four units. These actions may violate 18 U.S.C. § 1014, a felony statute governing false statements made to influence mortgage lending decisions.
The consequences were significant. By misrepresenting her property as having four units rather than five, James likely secured:
- Lower interest rates (typically 0.5-0.75% less)
- Reduced documentation requirements
- More favorable loan-to-value ratios
- Access to government programs unavailable for 5+ unit properties
Under 18 U.S.C. § 1014, making a knowingly false statement to a financial institution to secure a loan is punishable by fines up to $1 million and imprisonment for up to 30 years—the very statute James has used to prosecute others.
Louis’s Enabling Follow-Up: Conspiracy Theory Over Documented Facts
Not content with simply letting James evade the question, Louis then offered her a convenient conspiracy theory to explain away the evidence:
I was under the impression by all of this that what they were really looking for is what they got, which is a headline saying Tish James is under criminal investigation. Is that pretty much what’s going on here?
James eagerly embraced this lifeline:
James: “Yeah, that’s what they got… nothing more than retaliation against all of the actions that I have taken successfully against Donald Trump.”
With that exchange, Louis and James transformed documented financial misrepresentations into a partisan political plot—without addressing a single factual contradiction in the evidence.
MSNBC’s Hayes Offered No Challenge—Only an Escape
In her April 2025 appearance on MSNBC’s Why Is This Happening podcast with Chris Hayes, James wasn’t merely given softball questions—she was handed a predetermined escape route.
The discussion of her Brooklyn property mortgage issues deserved a thorough examination. After all, the documented five-unit classification versus her repeated four-unit mortgage filings raises fundamental questions about financial misrepresentation. Hayes could have pressed her on why multiple mortgage applications over two decades contained contradictory information, why building permits misrepresented the unit count, and how she explains the utility records showing five separate residential meters plus a common area meter.
Instead, Hayes pivoted to her Virginia residence declaration, asking:
Chris Hayes: “…a mortgage that you signed… that they say you falsely represented yourself as a resident of Virginia… that was essentially mortgage fraud… What is your response to that?”
Letitia James: “It’s baseless. Everybody knows I’m a resident of New York, specifically Brooklyn… we will respond at the appropriate time in the appropriate way.”
She then claimed: “It is nothing more than a revenge tour… I was next.”
Hayes—a journalist who has built his reputation on thorough research and critical analysis—didn’t bother to confront her with the actual document bearing her signature: a sworn, notarized declaration of Virginia principal residency, submitted to secure a favorable mortgage. Instead, he allowed her to characterize documented facts as politically-motivated fiction, never asking the critical follow-up question: “If the allegations are baseless, why did you sign a sworn declaration stating you intended to make Virginia your principal residence?”
The Virginia Property: A Sworn Declaration That Contradicts Her NY Residency
On August 17, 2023, Letitia James executed a legally binding Specific Power of Attorney authorizing her niece to close on a $219,780 mortgage for 604 Sterling Street, Norfolk, Virginia. In that document, James did not hedge or qualify her intent. She declared:
“I HEREBY DECLARE that I intend to occupy this property as my principal residence.”
This wasn’t boilerplate language. It was sworn, notarized, and witnessed—personally signed by James in front of a New York notary and recorded in Virginia land records. Her First Deputy Attorney General, Jennifer Levy, witnessed the document—raising serious questions about what senior members of her office knew and when.
Legal Fallout: Three Flashpoints
- Potential Mortgage Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1014): The declaration was a requirement for mortgage approval. The loan required both James and her co-borrower to occupy the property as their principal residence within 60 days and maintain it for at least one year. If she never intended to relocate—or never did—her sworn declaration may constitute a knowingly false statement to influence a mortgage, a federal felony.
- Automatic Office Vacancy (NY Public Officers Law § 30(1)(d)): If James truly established her principal residence in Virginia, she automatically vacated her office as New York Attorney General under New York law, which prohibits statewide officials from residing out of state. This means she may have lacked legal authority the moment she launched her high-profile case against Donald Trump.
- Failure to File a Homestead Exemption: James never filed for a homestead exemption in Virginia, which is the standard legal mechanism to confirm principal residency for property tax purposes. That omission, combined with her continued presence in Manhattan, undermines the credibility of her sworn declaration.
A Systematic Pattern of Financial Disclosure Violations
The issues with James’s property dealings aren’t isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of financial disclosure violations spanning multiple properties and years. These aren’t mere technicalities—they represent potential felony violations of laws she herself enforces.
Financial Disclosure Requirements and Legal Obligations
Under Section 73-a of the New York Public Officers Law, elected officials must file annual statements disclosing all real estate holdings, sources of income, and debts exceeding $10,000. Public Officers Law § 73-a requires disclosure of all mortgages on income-producing properties, regardless of amount or whether income is currently being received. A reporting individual who knowingly and willfully fails to file an annual statement of financial disclosure or who knowingly and willfully with intent to deceive makes a false statement or gives information which such individual knows to be false on such statement of financial disclosure shall be subject to a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed forty thousand dollars.
Virginia Property Disclosure Failures
- Original Peronne Avenue Mortgage Concealed: For her first Virginia property at 3121 Peronne Avenue, James financed the 2020 purchase with a $109,600 mortgage from OVM Financial. While the mortgage was initially coded as a “second home” mortgage, lenders typically allow conversion to investment property status with proper notification. James subsequently listed it as an investment property on her NYS financial disclosures—but never disclosed the underlying mortgage on any financial statement.
- Phantom Mortgages Appear: In her 2023 disclosure, she claimed two entirely new mortgages on the Peronne Avenue property (Freedom Mortgage $150K-$250K and National Mortgage $100K-$150K) that no title search could locate.
Brooklyn Property Disclosure Failures
- Missing Mortgages: A Citibank HELOC recorded in 2019 wasn’t disclosed until 2022—three years late—and then vanished from her 2023 filing with no explanation.
- Classification Manipulation: The Citizens Bank loan recorded in July 2021 went undisclosed that year, appeared as a mortgage in 2022, then was reclassified as a HELOC in 2023—with no corresponding modification in public records.
This isn’t just about mortgage filings—it’s about a profound and ongoing pattern of financial misrepresentation by New York’s chief law enforcement officer, the very person tasked with prosecuting others for similar violations. The alleged falsifications could potentially constitute wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and making false statements to financial institutions—the same charges James has enthusiastically pursued against others.
The Most Damning Questions Media Refuses to Ask
- Why did all ten of your Brooklyn property mortgage filings over 20+ years misrepresent the unit count despite the Certificate of Occupancy clearly showing five units?
- If your Virginia residence declaration is “baseless,” why did you personally sign it under oath?
- Why did you use $41,000 in taxpayer funds on private jet flights linked to campaign events?
- Why did you fail to report the Virginia mortgages on your NYS disclosures?
- How did you secure over $500,000 in loans on a $187,300 property?
- Why do multiple official financial disclosure documents contain contradictions that would trigger criminal investigations for ordinary citizens?
- How do you explain consistently changing mortgage classifications between years with no corresponding changes in public records?
The Trump Deflection: Strategy for Avoiding Accountability
By portraying the controversy as political retribution, James creates a convenient shield against scrutiny. This deflection serves a secondary purpose: potentially shifting her legal defense costs to taxpayers, arguing that the allegations stem from her public duties. But the filings in question—mortgage documents, permit applications, and sworn declarations—were personal transactions, not professional actions.
The stark double standard is impossible to ignore. James secured a $355 million judgment against Donald Trump for allegedly inflating property values to obtain favorable loans. Yet when confronted with her own sworn declaration that a Virginia property would be her “principal residence”—a statement that contradicts both New York residency requirements and her continued physical presence in Brooklyn—journalists treat these documented legal violations as partisan distractions unworthy of serious examination.
The Pattern Is the Point: A Record of Misrepresentation
Letitia James built her career proclaiming that “no one is above the law.” She rose to national prominence holding others accountable for financial misrepresentations. Yet her own mounting paper trail—signed mortgage declarations, sworn property filings, and conveniently omitted disclosures—reveals a systematic pattern of precisely the conduct she prosecutes in others.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about a fundamental principle: that those who enforce the law should themselves be subject to it. So far, New York’s media gatekeepers have decided that principle doesn’t apply to Letitia James.
Written by,
Sam Antar
© 2025 Sam Antar. All rights reserved.