Grand juries weighing criminal charges for Tish James, Adam Schiff: sources

Grand juries in Virginia and Maryland are considering possible criminal indictments against New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Senator Adam Schiff, following allegations that they falsified property recordsto secure better loan terms, according to sources within the Department of Justice (DOJ).

On Thursday, Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Ed Martin as Special Attorney to lead the investigations, which involve potential mortgage fraud, bank fraud, and wire fraud—offenses that can carry prison sentences of up to 30 years.

“Attorney General Bondi and President Trump have tasked me with a serious mission,” Martin said. “My job is to follow the facts and deliver results. The DOJ and FBI have already spent months investigating these cases—it’s now up to me to see it through.”

Special attorneys like Martin are authorized to carry out criminal investigations and grand jury proceedings, often in politically sensitive cases, and are not restricted by district boundaries.

Allegations Against James and Schiff

Letitia James is accused of misstating information on mortgage applications, including listing her father as her spouse to secure better loan terms and misrepresenting her primary residence on a property in Norfolk, Virginia.

Adam Schiff allegedly committed mortgage, bank, and mail fraud, along with making false statements to financial institutions. He is said to have declared two properties—one in Maryland and another in California—as his primary residence at different times, which allegedly helped him obtain lower mortgage rates and tax benefits from federally backed loans between 2003 and 2019.

Both James and Schiff have denied any wrongdoing.

Schiff’s attorney, former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, dismissed the allegations as “completely false and long debunked.” He also criticized the appointment of Ed Martin, calling him “openly partisan” and claiming the investigation is an example of political bias and the weaponization of the justice system.

Ongoing Grand Jury Proceedings

Subpoenas have been issued, and witnesses are now testifying in front of grand juries—James’s case in Virginia and Schiff’s in Maryland.

The investigation into James began in April, after Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pultesubmitted a criminal referral to the DOJ. He claimed James falsely declared a 2023 Norfolk property as her primary residence to qualify for government-backed loan benefits, despite continuing to serve as New York’s Attorney General and owning other properties, including a block of apartments in Brooklyn.

“Bill Pulte and his team at FHFA were the ones who initiated this with their referral,” said Ed Martin. “And as Letitia James and Adam Schiff often say themselves—‘No one is above the law.’”

Source: NEW YORK POST