How the Attorney General’s latest interview became fresh evidence for federal prosecutors
They say the cover-up is always worse than the crime. Letitia James just proved that axiom in spectacular fashion.
In a desperate attempt to explain away her documented mortgage fraud—fraud documented in public records—New York’s Attorney General went on Pod Save America (869K subscribers) and told lies so brazen, so easily disproven, that she may have just committed fresh federal crimes during an active DOJ investigation.
I have her actual Power of Attorney. Every word she said about it was false.
This isn’t just political spin or damage control gone wrong. This is a sitting Attorney General lying about her own legal documents while federal prosecutors watch. It’s obstruction of justice happening in real time, broadcast to millions of Americans.
And the most damning part? Her own government employees witnessed the original fraud.
Let me walk you through how Letitia James just handed federal prosecutors the easiest obstruction case in DOJ history—all while lying about the very documents that exposed her original fraud and led to the subsequent FHFA criminal referral to DOJ.
What James Actually Said
James’s Full Statement on the Virginia Property:
“There’s a house in Virginia that I purchased that I was a co-signer with my…for my niece, my niece’s children, and I wanted to have her home and so I co-signed the home. When I signed the power of attorney, I did it electronically. I wanted my niece to basically sign for me at the closing. At the bottom of the power of attorney it indicated that I was a resident of Virginia. Prior to that I had indicated to the mortgage broker in caps, all caps, I am not a resident of Virginia—you’re Tish from Brooklyn, I’m Tish from Brooklyn, period. And in the mortgage documents it indicates whether or not you plan on being a resident of Virginia and I marked no, no, no. But of course those were not publicly available. The only public document that’s available is the power of attorney which was not a basis for the mortgage.” (2:40 to 3:30)
Every single substantive claim in this statement is demonstrably false. Let me show you how I know.
LIE #1: The “Electronic Signature” Fantasy
James claimed: “when I signed the power of attorney…I did it electronically”
🔥 THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT PROVES: This is a complete fabrication. Page 3 shows:
✍️ Handwritten signature: “Letitia A. James”
- 📋 Notarized in person: By Julius Crockwell, Notary Public, State of New York
- 📅 Date: August 17th, 2023
- 👥 Two in-person witnesses who signed under penalty of perjury
This wasn’t electronic. It was an in-person signing ceremony with a notary and two witnesses from her own office.
James is lying about the basic facts of how she committed the mortgage fraud documented in public records.
LIE #2: The “Bottom of the Page” Mischaracterization
James claimed: “at the bottom of the power of attorney it indicated that I was a resident of Virginia”
🔥 THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT PROVES: This mischaracterizes what the document actually says. The Power of Attorney contains this prominent declaration in the middle of page 1:
“I HEREBY DECLARE that I intend to occupy this property as my principal residence.”
This isn’t just about being a “resident of Virginia.” It’s a crystal-clear sworn statement about occupancy intent—exactly what federal mortgage fraud law prohibits lying about. And it’s not buried “at the bottom”—it’s prominently featured above her signature.
James is mischaracterizing her own document to minimize the significance of the false sworn statement that triggered federal investigation.
LIE #3: The Government Witnesses She Can’t Explain
What James conveniently forgot to mention: The document reveals her false declaration was witnessed by two employees from the New York Attorney General’s office:
🏛️ Jennifer Levy – First Deputy Attorney General
📍 305 Parkside Ave, Brooklyn NY 11226
🏛️ Sharona Parchment – AG Office staff
📍 41 Pine Street, Staten Island NY 10301
Both witnesses signed under penalty of perjury that they were present when James made her false declaration.
Translation: New York’s top prosecutors watched their boss commit federal mortgage fraud and put their signatures on it.
LIE #4: The “Not a Basis” Legal Nonsense
James claimed: “the power of attorney…was not a basis for the mortgage”
⚖️ FEDERAL LAW REALITY: Under 18 U.S.C. § 1014, it’s irrelevant whether the false statement was the “basis” for anything. The law criminalizes any false statement capable of influencing a financial institution.
A sworn Power of Attorney declaring intent to occupy as principal residence is absolutely capable of influencing:
- 🔍 Loan compliance audits
- 📊 Quality control reviews
- 💼 Investor requirements
- ⚡ Future enforcement actions
Importantly, the POA was filed with the mortgage as part of the official loan package, making it directly part of the federal financial transaction.
For New York’s chief law enforcement officer to misstate basic federal criminal law is either stunning incompetence or deliberate deception.
LIE #5: The Brooklyn Property She Won’t Discuss
What James completely omitted: Any mention of her 20+ year pattern of mortgage fraud involving her Brooklyn property at 296 Lafayette Avenue.
In the interview, James discussed:
- ✅ The Queens house from 30 years ago with her father
- ✅ The Virginia house with her niece
- ❌ ZERO mention of the Brooklyn property fraud that spans decades
This represents a critical lie of omission. Public records document that for over 20 years, James has consistently misrepresented her Brooklyn property as a “4-unit” building on mortgage documents, despite its official Certificate of Occupancy designating it as a 5-unit dwelling.
This pattern enabled her to:
- Qualify for a federal HAMP mortgage modification in 2011 (which excluded buildings with 5+ units), as initially uncovered by Joel Gilbert from Gateway Pundit
- Obtain residential rather than commercial lending terms
- Avoid stricter underwriting requirements
By completely avoiding this documented pattern, James tried to frame the Virginia incident as an isolated “mistake” rather than part of a systematic approach to mortgage fraud spanning multiple properties and decades.
The Timeline That Proves Criminal Intent
The documented timeline reveals the smoking gun:
📧 August 2, 2023 (email obtained through legal proceedings): “This property WILL NOT be my primary residence”
📝 August 17, 2023 (sworn POA documented in public records): “I intend to occupy this property as my principal residence”
🏛️ October 2, 2023: James launches Trump trial in Manhattan (never moved to Virginia)
⏰ 15 days between contradictory sworn statements = documented intent to defraud.
Why Financial Benefit Calculations Don’t Matter Here
Unlike typical mortgage fraud cases where prosecutors must prove financial motive through quantified benefits, James’s case provides direct documentary proof of criminal intent through her contradictory sworn statements made 15 days apart.
Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 1014 doesn’t require:
- Proof of financial benefit to the defendant
- Evidence that the false statement influenced the decision
- Quantified harm to any party
- Successful completion of the transaction
The law requires only that the defendant knowingly made a false statement capable of influencing a federally connected financial institution. James’s sworn occupancy declaration meets this standard regardless of whether it provided measurable financial advantage.
The Supreme Court in United States v. Wells, 519 U.S. 482 (1997), clearly established that in federal fraud cases, a scheme to defraud requires only that the defendant intend to deceive; it is irrelevant whether the victim is actually harmed or suffers a financial loss.
The Professional Network That Facilitated the Fraud
Through analysis of public records, the professional network that facilitated James’s mortgage fraud is documented:
- 👨💼 Prepared by: John M. McCormick (VSB#80676), McCormick Law & Consulting
- 🏢 Handled by: TitleQuest of Hampton Roads, LLC
- 📋 Notarized by: Julius Crockwell, NY Notary Public
- 👥 Witnessed by: Two senior NY Attorney General office employees
Each professional played a role in creating the false declaration. The crime was complete the moment she signed that false declaration—a federal crime that stands on its own.
The Federal Crime Documented in Public Records
This Power of Attorney is Exhibit A in the federal mortgage fraud case that resulted from the documented evidence:
- 🎯 False Statement: “I intend to occupy this property as my principal residence”
- 🧠 Knowledge of Falsity: August 2 email proves she knew it was false
- 💰 Material to Transaction: Filed as part of the official mortgage package
- ⚖️ Federal Jurisdiction: FHA-insured loan involving federal programs
Game. Set. Match.
Why This Interview Makes Everything Nuclear
James’s interview lies aren’t just embarrassing—they’re additional federal crimes:
- 📜 18 U.S.C. § 1001: False statements (claiming electronic signature when it was notarized)
- 🚧 18 U.S.C. § 1503: Obstruction (misleading public during federal investigation)
- ⚖️ Perjury: If she repeats these lies under oath
She just went from documented mortgage fraud to mortgage fraud + obstruction of justice.
DOJ Has Already Convicted Others for Identical Conduct
This isn’t uncharted legal territory. In United States v. Muhammad (9th Cir. 2019), the Department of Justice successfully convicted a defendant under 18 U.S.C. § 1014 for submitting false occupancy declarations on FHA loans and never moving into the properties.
James’s case is dramatically stronger than Muhammad in every respect:
- Written confession of intent: Muhammad relied on circumstantial evidence. James provided direct proof with her August 2 email.
- Government employee witnesses: Two NY Attorney General employees witnessed James’s false declaration.
- Higher office and trust: James holds the state’s highest law enforcement position.
- Multiple documented contradictions: James made opposing sworn statements within 15 days.
If DOJ could successfully convict Muhammad on circumstantial evidence, James’s prosecution should be straightforward.
The 20-Year Pattern of Mortgage Fraud
The evidence reveals this wasn’t isolated fraud—it’s part of a decades-long pattern:
- 🏠 Brooklyn Property (2001-2023): Consistently misrepresented 5-unit building as 4-unit on mortgage docs
- 💰 2011 HAMP Fraud: Obtained federal mortgage relief through false unit count (with suspicious handwritten modifications)
- 📋 Building Permits (2020): Filed false permit applications claiming 4 units instead of 5
- 🏡 Virginia Fraud (2023): False principal residence declaration
Through on-site verification, Joel Gilbert and the author confirmed the Brooklyn property has exactly 5 units as per the Certificate of Occupancy—6 electric meters (including 1 meter for the common area), 5 doorbells, clear physical evidence.
How the Evidence Led to Federal Action
James had one chance to minimize her legal exposure: tell the truth about the documented mortgage fraud.
Instead, she chose to lie about lying—providing prosecutors with fresh evidence of additional crimes.
Federal prosecutors now have:
- ✅ The original false sworn statement (documented in public records)
- ✅ Proof of knowledge (contemporaneous emails)
- ✅ Evidence of ongoing deception (interview lies)
- ✅ Professional witnesses under penalty of perjury
- ✅ A 20+ year pattern of similar conduct
The Nuclear Conclusion
For someone who spent her career prosecuting others for the exact conduct documented against her, this represents the complete collapse of any claim to integrity or accountability.
The documented evidence shows the original fraud.
Her interview lies are evidence of ongoing obstruction.
James just handed federal prosecutors a complete case with a bow on top.
The FBI should be at her door by morning.
🔗 This investigation continues my ongoing series: The Letitia James Mortgage Investigation
📧 For daily updates, follow @SamAntar on Twitter
The documents speak for themselves. James’s lies speak volumes.
Written by,
Sam Antar
© 2025 Sam Antar. All rights reserved.