On August 8, 2025, the Justice Department escalated its scrutiny of some of President Donald Trump’s most prominent political adversaries, launching a series of investigations and grand jury proceedings that have ignited fierce debate over the boundaries of law and politics in America. At the center of this legal and political maelstrom is New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has been subpoenaed for records related to her high-profile fraud lawsuit against Trump, as well as her office’s separate case against the National Rifle Association (NRA).
The investigations, which have also drawn in Democratic U.S. Senator Adam Schiff of California, were set in motion by Attorney General Pam Bondi and are being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, according to multiple sources cited by The Associated Press, Reuters, and Fox News. The probes are examining whether James violated Trump’s civil rights through her litigation and whether there was mortgage fraud involved in her real estate dealings—allegations both James and Schiff have vehemently denied.
Letitia James, a Democrat who has long been a thorn in Trump’s side, first began investigating the Trump Organization shortly after taking office in 2018. Her efforts culminated in a blockbuster civil fraud case in 2022, which resulted in a judgment of $354 million (later ballooning to $454 million with interest) against Trump and his company. The court also barred Trump from seeking loans from New York financial institutions for three years and prohibited him from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation. Trump’s sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., both executives at the company, faced additional penalties. Trump and his company have appealed the ruling, but no decision has been handed down yet.
James’ legal crusade didn’t stop there. She also sued the NRA and its longtime leader Wayne LaPierre, alleging years of financial mismanagement and lavish personal spending. A New York jury found LaPierre liable for misusing millions of dollars of the organization’s funds and determined that the NRA had failed to safeguard its assets and violated whistleblower protections. Although James sought to dissolve the NRA, a judge ruled the allegations did not justify such a drastic measure. LaPierre resigned on the eve of the trial, and the NRA has since refreshed its board and compliance team.
Now, the tables have turned. The Justice Department’s current investigation seeks to determine whether James’ lawsuits against Trump and the NRA amounted to a deprivation of civil rights. Subpoenas have been issued to her office for documents related to both cases. The department has also convened a grand jury—an early step in any criminal investigation that could, in theory, lead to indictments, though such outcomes are far from certain at this stage. According to Fox News, the investigation is being run out of Albany and is in its initial phase, with the grand jury examining evidence and interviewing witnesses.
James and her legal team have not minced words in their response. Her spokesperson stated, “Any weaponization of the justice system should disturb every American. We stand strongly behind our successful litigation against the Trump Organization and the National Rifle Association, and we will continue to stand up for New Yorkers’ rights.” Her personal attorney, Abbe D. Lowell, was even more direct: “Investigating the fraud case Attorney General James won against President Trump and his businesses has to be the most blatant and desperate example of this administration carrying out the president’s political retribution campaign. Weaponizing the Department of Justice to try to punish an elected official for doing her job is an attack on the rule of law and a dangerous escalation by this administration.”
The Justice Department, for its part, has declined to comment publicly on the details of the investigation. However, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed in May 2025 the existence of a separate probe into James for alleged mortgage fraud—a charge her lawyer dismissed as a “lie based on a purposeful misreading of documents in a lawful real estate transaction.”
Special prosecutor Ed Martin, who has been tapped to assist in the mortgage fraud investigations into both James and Senator Schiff, is a controversial figure in his own right. Martin, currently leading the department’s Weaponization Working Group, was previously nominated for U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., but his nomination was withdrawn amid concerns about his limited prosecutorial experience and vocal support for the January 6 Capitol rioters. According to Reuters, Martin is not a special counsel, meaning he must work with a U.S. attorney’s office to bring any charges.
Senator Schiff, another frequent Trump critic and the lead manager of Trump’s first impeachment trial in 2020, is also under investigation for alleged mortgage fraud related to a property in Maryland. Schiff’s attorney called the allegations “transparently false, stale, and long debunked.” Preet Bharara, a former U.S. attorney representing Schiff, said, “Mr. Martin is a January 6-defending lawyer who has repeatedly pursued baseless and politically-motivated investigations to fulfill demands to investigate and prosecute perceived enemies. Any supposed investigation led by him would be the very definition of weaponization of the justice process.”
The broader context of these investigations cannot be ignored. Trump has made no secret of his desire for retribution against his political foes, vowing on the campaign trail to “get even” with adversaries like James and Schiff. The Justice Department is simultaneously advancing an investigation into the Trump-Russia probe that dogged his first term, even as it purges law enforcement officials who had previously examined Trump and his supporters—a pattern that has drawn concern from legal scholars and political observers across the spectrum.
James herself has been outspoken about the stakes. After her 2022 victory against Trump, she remarked, “If average New Yorkers went into a bank and submitted false documents, the government would throw the book at them, and the same should be true for former presidents.” Her willingness to challenge Trump’s business practices and his administration’s policies has made her a hero to some and a villain to others.
As the investigations move forward, the legal and political ramifications are being closely watched nationwide. Legal experts note that while appeals of civil judgments are common, criminal investigations into prosecutors over cases that have already been tried and upheld by courts are highly unusual. The outcome of these probes could set significant precedents for the relationship between politics and the justice system in the United States.
For now, Letitia James and Adam Schiff remain defiant, insisting that their actions were lawful and justified, while the Justice Department’s next moves are awaited with bated breath. The battle lines are drawn, and the nation watches as the story unfolds—one that could have lasting implications for the rule of law and the future of American democracy.
