Governor Hochul, if the rule of law still applies in New York State, we deserve an explanation for why your Attorney General, Letitia James, remains in office despite mounting evidence of misconduct that would likely result in prosecution if committed by an ordinary citizen. The situation has become so serious that federal regulators have now referred James to the Department of Justice for potential criminal investigation related to her mortgage declarations.
This post details a troubling pattern of apparent misrepresentations spanning two decades and multiple properties, all documented through public records and independent investigation.
Critical Virginia Residency Declaration While Prosecuting Trump
In August 2023, just weeks before launching her landmark $355 million civil fraud trial against Donald Trump, Attorney General Letitia James signed a sworn mortgage affidavit declaring her intent to make a property at 604 Sterling Street in Norfolk, Virginia her “principal residence.” This was her second Virginia property acquisition, following an earlier purchase in 2020.
The evidence clearly shows she never moved to Virginia, never left New York, and continued her duties in New York throughout the period when the mortgage required her to establish residency in Virginia.
This wasn’t a minor clerical error—it was a material misrepresentation made to qualify for favorable owner-occupant mortgage terms that aren’t available for investment properties. In similar cases against private citizens, such declarations would potentially constitute mortgage fraud under federal statutes.
Two-Decade History of Mortgage Misrepresentations
For over 20 years, James has consistently described her Brooklyn property—legally classified as a five-unit dwelling according to its Certificate of Occupancy—as anything from a “1-2 family” to a “4-family” dwelling in mortgage after mortgage.
This misrepresentation is not merely semantic—it’s the difference between residential and commercial financing. Properties with five or more units are classified as commercial under federal lending standards and subject to stricter underwriting criteria, including higher down payments and less favorable terms.
The evidence is unambiguous:
- The 2001 Certificate of Occupancy legally classifies it as a five-family dwelling
- Electric meter records show six meters—five for residential units plus one for common areas
- The building has five doorbells
- Yet James has never once disclosed the correct legal unit count on any of her mortgages
Misuse of Federal Relief Program
In 2011, James received a HAMP (Home Affordable Modification Program) mortgage modification—part of a federal homeowner relief program explicitly restricted to properties with 1-4 residential units. She obtained this modification by representing her Brooklyn property as eligible when, according to its Certificate of Occupancy, it wasn’t.
Furthermore, handwritten modifications on the HAMP documents suggest a deliberate attempt to obscure the property’s true status, with contradictory notations about unit count appearing in different sections of the same document.
Multiple Financial Disclosure Issues Across All Properties
James’ New York State financial disclosures reveal a troubling pattern of omissions and contradictions that span both her Brooklyn property and her two separate Norfolk, Virginia properties.
A comprehensive review of these sworn financial statements reveals multiple apparent violations of disclosure requirements:
- Second Virginia Property Completely Omitted: None of her financial disclosure statements contain any mention of her second Virginia property at 604 Sterling Street or its $219,000 mortgage. This property, which she declared would be her “principal residence,” simply doesn’t exist in her official financial records.
- Hidden Documented Mortgages: The $109,600 OVM Financial mortgage used to purchase her first Virginia property at 3121 Peronne Avenue in 2020 never appears on any of her financial disclosures, despite being clearly documented in Norfolk property records.
- Phantom Undocumented Mortgages: Her 2023 disclosure suddenly lists two mortgages (Freedom Mortgage: $150,000-$250,000 and National Mortgage: $100,000-$150,000) on her first Virginia property (3121 Peronne Avenue), yet an independent title search found no record of either in Virginia property records.
- Brooklyn Phantom Loan: One of the most puzzling discoveries involves the First Savings Bank loan, which James has reported on her financial disclosures for her Brooklyn property since at least 2020. Despite an exhaustive search of ACRIS records (New York City’s property records database), there is no trace of this loan in any official property filings, raising serious questions about its existence and nature. It was not identified as a home equity loan until her 2023 disclosure.
- Disappearing Disclosed Mortgages: A Citibank HELOC recorded in 2019 went undisclosed for three years, finally appeared in her 2022 disclosure, then mysteriously vanished in 2023 with no record of satisfaction.
These discrepancies appear to violate New York Public Officers Law § 73-a, which requires disclosure of all real estate holdings (except personal residences that don’t generate income) and all debts exceeding $10,000. The law specifies that filing a false or incomplete disclosure is a Class A misdemeanor.
Impossible Loan-to-Value Ratio on First Virginia Property
The financial implications of these inconsistencies are staggering. If these reported mortgages actually exist as disclosed, the total debt on her first Virginia property at 3121 Peronne Avenue would exceed $500,000—against a property assessed at less than $200,000. This would represent a loan-to-value ratio of over 250%, far beyond anything possible through legitimate lending channels.
Recent Developments: Tenant Complaints After DOJ Referral
In April 2025, tenant complaints were filed at James’ Brooklyn building—just 48 hours after the Department of Justice referral regarding her mortgage declarations. Multiple units cited peeling paint and maintenance issues. Building inspectors were unable to gain access during their visit.
The irony is unmistakable: the Attorney General who prosecutes landlords for building code violations is now facing complaints from her own tenants.
A Call for Action
Governor Hochul, your continued silence on these matters does not constitute leadership—it suggests complicity. The evidence against Attorney General James is substantial and documented. The hypocrisy is staggering given her prosecution of others for similar financial misrepresentations.
We respectfully call on you to:
- Suspend Letitia James pending an independent investigation into these serious allegations
- Publicly explain to the people of New York why this pattern of conduct has been allowed to continue without official scrutiny
- Appoint an independent counsel to review all evidence and determine appropriate actions
AG James has aggressively wielded these same laws against others. Now she must be held to the same standards she enforces. As James herself stated when announcing the verdict against Donald Trump: “No one is above the law.”
Equal justice cannot exist without equal accountability—even for the state’s top law enforcement officer.
Written by,
Sam Antar
© 2025 Sam Antar. All rights reserved.
This post is based on extensive investigative reporting supported by public records. All documents referenced are available through the hyperlinks provided. For a comprehensive timeline and full documentation, please visit our complete investigative series.