A top Virginia prosecutor resigned Friday after pressure from President Donald Trump to charge New York Attorney General Letitia James with mortgage fraud.
Trump had said that he wanted U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert “out” of office earlier Friday because he was confirmed by Virginia’s two Democratic senators.
“When I saw that he got two senators, two gentlemen that are bad news as far as I’m concerned, when I saw that he got approved by those two men, I said, pull it, because he can’t be any good,” Trump added.
Siebert was sworn in as the Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in January. He informed employees at his office in Alexandria of his resignation, ABC News reported.
“For the last eight months, I have had the pleasure of leading the finest and most exceptional of DOJ employees, who care deeply about our nation and our EDVA community,” Siebert wrote in an email.
“Thank you for the lessons you have taught me, the sacrifices you have made, and the pursuit of justice you strive for every day,” he added.
Trump wanted Siebert to prosecute James because she listed her Norfolk, Virginia, home as her
“principal residence,” allegedly to get a better mortgage rate. James works hundreds of miles away in New York City, and the New York Post reported that her neighbors have “never seen her” there.
William Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, previously said James is “required by law to have her primary residence in the state of New York.”
James has also been accused of misrepresenting how many units her Brooklyn property has in order to receive a better loan interest rate. She allegedly took out a loan meant for four or fewer unit properties for a five-unit property.
The Justice Department had been investigating James. Siebert had recently told Justice Department officials that investigators found insufficient evidence to charge James, according to the New York Times.
Trump considers James to be an enemy and said Friday that she is “very guilty of something.” James sued Trump in 2022 for alleged financial fraud and won, forcing Trump and his company to pay millions in fines.
James’ lawyer, Abbe D. Lowell, told the New York Times that Siebert’s removal is “a brazen attack on the rule of law.”
“The prosecutor did exactly what justice required by following the facts and the evidence, which didn’t support charges against Attorney General James,” he said. “Firing people until he finds someone who will bend the law to carry out his revenge has been President Trump’s pattern — and it’s illegal.”
CHARLIE KIRK DEAD AFTER BEING SHOT AT UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY EVENT
It’s unclear who will take Siebert’s position. NBC News reported that Siebert expects his assistant, Maya Song, to be demoted from her role.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Siebert’s office, the Department of Justice, and the White House, but did not receive a response.