According to the document, a grand jury found sufficient evidence to indict James regarding obtaining a mortgage loan to purchase a home in Virginia. The department alleges that James secured the loan under favorable terms after assuring the financial institution she would reside in the home herself, while in reality, she was renting it out.

James faces charges of fraud and intentionally providing false information to a financial institution, with the prosecution seeking restitution for profits believed to have been obtained illegally.

James is scheduled to appear in court on October 24, and if convicted, she could face up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to one million dollars.

The Washington Post reported in August that the U.S. Department of Justice had launched an investigation into James. The report indicated that federal prosecutors in New York requested James to answer questions about investigations she conducted against Trump and the National Rifle Association—a powerful non-governmental organization traditionally linked closely to the Republican Party.

James described the charges as “baseless,” stating in a statement that U.S. President Donald Trump “is seeking revenge against her at any cost.” She added that the 2022 lawsuit she filed against Trump “was based on facts and evidence, not politics.”

James, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit in 2022 accusing Trump of fraudulently valuing his company’s assets. A New York court ordered Trump to pay $454 million in February 2024, but the appellate court overturned the fine in August, calling it excessive.