Washington– WASHINGTON (AP) — A coalition of NAACP branches in New York had just begun its annual state convention when Letitia James, a longtime member and state attorney general, canceled her appearance.
It was just James The Department of Justice charged him with mortgage fraudIt is a charge she described as “baseless” and “a serious violation of our constitutional system.”
For organizers of the New York convention, the moment was unsettling and underscored the importance of the gathering, which included multiple sessions on building political power at the state level in response to what NAACP leaders described as federal attacks on welfare, civil rights and the rule of law.
“Democracy is built through our collective action,” said NAACP New York State Conference President L. Joey Williams. “What we have to do is not just defend against what is happening now, but we have to go further than we have been before, to build a system to build a better American democracy that we all deserve,” he added.
The indictment of James who preceded The Trump Organization is being sued for business fraudThis immediately sparked debate over whether the judicial system had been politicized by President Donald Trump’s personal grievances. He also drew many parallels with Trump’s recent effort to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook from her position over similar allegations.
Advocates see some of Trump’s recent moves as singularly targeting Black women leaders.
“This is something we’ve been grappling with since the beginning of this administration,” said Shavonne Arlene Bradley, president and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women, the nation’s oldest civil rights organization for black women.
These claims also carry symbolic weight for Black families, where property ownership has historically been restricted by the legal system through explicit and implicit discrimination, Arlene Bradley said.
Homeownership has since become a disproportionate — and sometimes the only — means of wealth creation for black Americans. A recent national poll shows The widening racial wealth gap between white and black individualseven with increased income for black workers.
“When you attack someone’s home, you attack their ability to own property, you attack their ability to choose, you attack their ability to make a statement about their economic future,” Arlene Bradley said. “This is a consistent pattern that has highlighted what they believe is their Achilles’ heel in the black community.”
Arlene Bradley added that Black women “feel very targeted” by the president’s words and actions, which she said are rooted in “a misunderstanding about the accomplishments and leadership of these women.”
The Trump administration maintains that its prosecution of James for mortgage fraud is justified and fair.
“No one is above the law,” Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement. “The charges alleged in this case represent intentional criminal acts and egregious violations of the public trust. The facts and law in this case are clear, and we will continue to pursue them to ensure justice.”
“One level of justice for all Americans,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote shortly after James was charged in a post on X.
Critics of the administration responded that the administration’s actions amounted to political retaliation and an attempt to illegally consolidate power. Black leaders also argued that the administration’s actions came at the expense of leading Black leaders and Black communities.
“President Trump has made clear through his public comments against Attorney General James that the goal of this indictment is simply retaliation against his political opponents,” Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said in a statement.
She added: “The American people see this corrupt trial for what it is – a desperate attempt by President Trump to weaponize the justice system. It will not stand up to public or legal scrutiny.”
In addition to James, the Trump Justice Department has charged former FBI Director James Comey with making a false statement and obstruction of justice in connection with 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee testimony.
The Justice Department is also investigating Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, for mortgage fraud. Trump called for the imprisonment of Schiff, who was the lead manager of Trump’s first impeachment.
Experts question the merits and motives of mortgage fraud investigations.
“It is uncommon for prosecutors to bring this type of claim in the absence of a pattern of malicious activity or evidence that the individual actually harmed the bank by not paying their mortgage or if it was part of a much larger fraudulent scheme,” said Paul Schiff Berman, a law professor at George Washington University Law School.
As for James, Berman said, “The allegation is that she said the house would be used as her second home but also used it as a rental property on occasion,” which Berman said could be said to be a reasonable use of a second home and likely would not violate a typical mortgage contract.
Regardless of the legal discussions that follow, James’ allies say they are ready to support her in any way needed. Organizers at the New York conference say they are invited to return to the event when it is ready.
“As we respond in this moment, this is happening to her as well, and so we want to give her space,” said Williams, the New York NAACP leader. “And the thing about home is you can always go there. So we know she’ll always come back.”