Trump says he fired U.S. attorney who reportedly quit over Letitia James probe
President disputes reports that Erik Siebert resigned under pressure to prosecute Letitia James; Democrats say he was pushed out.
President Donald Trump said Friday that he fired Erik Siebert as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after reports that he quit amid pressure to pursue criminal charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Trump posted that he withdrew Siebert’s nomination and claimed he did so after learning the nominee had received unusually strong support from two Democratic Virginia senators. Siebert had been nominated in May after being recommended by Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine in April.
In a joint statement, Warner and Kaine accused Trump of pushing Siebert out because he refused to bring criminal charges against Trump’s perceived enemies when the facts wouldn’t support it.
Trump has repeatedly pressed for investigations of James, who is New York’s attorney general. He said about James, 'It looks to me like she’s very guilty of something but I really don’t know.'
Siebert reportedly resigned after telling colleagues he could not find enough evidence to charge James with mortgage fraud.
Trump’s administration has referred James for prosecution over alleged mortgage fraud. The referral drew attention after the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bill Pulte, wrote to the Department of Justice that James appeared to have falsified records to meet lending requirements and receive favorable loan terms.
James is accused of falsely claiming that her Norfolk, Virginia, property was her primary residence in August 2023. As a statewide elected official, she is legally required to live in New York.
The New York attorney general’s office previously sued the Trump Organization for fraud and won. Judge Arthur Engoron ordered the Trump Organization to pay a $354 million fine — a figure that rose with interest to nearly $500 million — but a New York appeals court overturned that in August.
In April, Trump posted on Truth Social: 'Letitia James, a totally corrupt politician, should resign from her position as New York State Attorney General, IMMEDIATELY.'
The episode highlights the ongoing political frictions surrounding investigations into Trump-era figures and the role of federal appointments amid disputes involving James and others.