Zohran Mamdani reveals what Letitia James told him after getting indicted
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Zohran Mamdani, Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, shared what New York Attorney General Letitia James told him after she was indicted on Thursday.
Why It Matters
The federal indictment of James has thrust the topic of prosecutorial independence into the national spotlight and reignited debate over concerns of possible politicization of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). James, who earned national attention for her successful civil fraud case against President Donald Trump in 2023, now finds herself facing allegations of bank fraud and making false statements, brought by a newly appointed Trump prosecutor.
Lawmakers and legal experts say the case highlights growing concerns about the use of federal power for perceived political retribution amid a broader erosion of longstanding judicial norms. Some Republicans, meanwhile, argue the case brings long overdue accountability to a high-ranking official. The high-profile indictment comes as both major parties accuse each other of weaponizing the justice system, compounding doubts surrounding its integrity among Americans.
What To Know
While speaking with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Friday, Mamdani was asked about his conversation with the state’s attorney general. Mamdani said, “She told me, ‘Don’t worry about me.’ And I think that’s just indicative of what she means to so many New Yorkers.”
“She is somebody who has put the city, the state, the people of it first, and frankly that’s why Donald Trump is persecuting her. It’s because of the fact that she looks at everyone in the state, everyone in this country as being held to the same standards of the law. And she held Donald Trump to that same law,” Mamdani continued.
“And he couldn’t take the audacity, that he would have that applied to him,” Mamdani added. “And so, what we’re seeing is the weaponization of justice and it’s one that’s looking to make an example of the attorney general, but it’s one where we will have her back through every step of the way.”
On Thursday, Lindsey Halligan, recently appointed by Trump as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, secured a federal grand jury indictment against James. The indictment alleges that James misrepresented the use of a Virginia property on a 2020 mortgage application, claiming it was a secondary residence to obtain more favorable terms, when it was allegedly used as a rental.
Newsweek reached out to the press office for the Eastern District of Virginia via email Friday night for comment.
New
York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks at a news conference
on October 8 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty
Images)
What People Are Saying
Mamdani, on X Thursday: “New Yorkers know Attorney General James for who she is: a champion for justice who fights relentlessly for the people. Donald Trump knows her only as an obstacle to his corruption. No one should be surprised that Donald Trump is employing fascist tactics—prosecuting his opponents, weaponizing the federal government, and attacking the very fabric of our democracy. And Trump should not be surprised when millions of Americans stand up to his authoritarianism and his greed. If Trump wants to leverage baseless charges to visit political retribution on New York’s Attorney General, he’ll have to go through New Yorkers first. Tish James has had our back, time and again. We have hers.”
Abbe Lowell, attorney for James, in a statement Thursday: “We are deeply concerned that this case is driven by President Trump’s desire for revenge,” adding, “When a President can publicly direct charges to be filed against someone—when it was reported that career attorneys concluded none were warranted—it marks a serious attack on the rule of law. We will fight these charges in every process allowed in the law.”
Scott Jennings, former adviser to President George W. Bush, on X Thursday: “Allow me to quote Letitia James directly: ‘When powerful people cheat to get better loans, it comes at the expense of hard-working people.’ There was no outrage from Dems about Tish’s political prosecution of Trump — but now that the shoe is on the other foot, it’s a crisis.”
What Happens Next
James is set to appear for arraignment in Virginia on October 24.
If convicted of bank fraud or making false statements, the penalties could include up to 30 years in prison and $1 million in fines for each count, the DOJ says.