Letitia James' grand niece testified to a different grand jury that she lived in the lawsuit's disputed house rent-free

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Anna Bower @AnnaBower
NYT reports that Letitia James’s great niece lives in the home that is the subject of the indictment.

The niece reportedly testified before a *different* grand jury, telling them that she had lived there for many years without paying rent. James visits regularly.

___In the indictment, the prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, accuses Ms. James of having misrepresented the purpose of the house when she purchased it in August 2020 for $137,000. The indictment says that while Ms. James indicated to her mortgage broker that she expected to use the house as a second home, she had instead used it as a “rental investment property, renting the property to a family.”

But in June, Ms. Thompson testified to a grand jury in Norfolk that she had lived in the house for years and that she did not pay rent, a person familiar with her testimony said. She was not asked to testify again, and the grand jury that voted to indict Ms. James was not seated in Norfolk, but in Alexandria.

Ms. Thompson and Ms. James’s yearslong use of the house and Ms. Thompson’s testimony to the grand jury — neither of which has been previously reported — illuminate the straightforward factual dispute that will animate the case. Real estate and legal experts said that it would be difficult to assess the strength of Ms. Halligan’s case until more facts were presented in court.

But the burden of proof is high. If the case makes it to trial, the charges, one of bank fraud and one of false statements to a financial institution, will require prosecutors to convince a jury that Ms. James intentionally misled the mortgage broker, OVM Financial, and First Savings Bank, which, according to the indictment, acquired the loan in 2021.

Ms. Thompson’s testimony that she has lived in the house rent-free — Ms. James pays even for basic upkeep, the people said — could make it difficult for prosecutors to convince a jury that the house was meant to be used as a rental investment property.

report: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/us/politics/letitia-james-indictment-house.html

[Johonny]

1. The point is to smear these people good name

Meanwhile Trump pardons every conservative convicted criminal he can. We live in a lawless society, while using a secret police for to instill fear into the population. That's not the shit that wins Nobel Peace prizes.

[ificandream]

2. So what? Doesn't James as the renter have every right to do with that house what she wants?

[bigtree]

3. that's basically what this report is reinforcing

...this is normal usage of a home.

[Blue Owl]

4. OFFS....

[C_U_L8R]

5. The idea of not having to pay rent

is abhorrent to the Trump dumbfucks.

[Traildogbob]

6. How much rent

Did Uncle Thomas’ mother pay on the house the money Gods bought to own the SC?

[spanone]

7. Sounds like a bullshit charge.

[sheshe2]

8. 'Trumped' up charges.

[uponit7771]

9. Why was that material testimony left out ?!?! I didn't think prosecutors could legally do that

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10. allowed in a grand jury presentation

...that's why they say an indictment only has as much credibility as the prosecutor.

[uponit7771]

11. Didn't know that, that's giving prosecutors way too much power in this country

[bigtree]

12. they walk in there

...there's no judge or anyone to tell them what to present to the jury.

Reports are that this Miss Colorado fourth runner-up just marched in there without telling anyone or apparently getting help.

The reason AGs sign off on big and high profile cases is that prosecutors on that level don't just focus on whether they can get an indictment. They want to be certain there's a conviction that will stand.

More than 90% of individuals prosecuted in federal court were convicted in 2022, according to Pew.

In fiscal year 2022, only 290 of 71,954 defendants in federal criminal cases – about 0.4% – went to trial and were acquitted, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of the latest available statistics from the federal judiciary. Another 1,379 went to trial and were found guilty (1.9%).

About nine-in-ten (89.5%) pleaded guilty, while another 8.2% had their case dismissed at some point in the judicial process, according to the data from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/14/fewer-than-1-of-defendants-in-federal-criminal-cases-were-acquitted-in-2022/

[struggle4progress]

13. I'm sure Hooligan has many exciting prospects for her post-law career

[dsc]

14. The article stated she reported income

from it only once at most 5k. Assuming the highest amount of 5k that would be 4 mos at 1250 or 8 at 625. She was permitted a short term rental. 1k, the low end, is at most 2 mos. BTW this is Alexandria good luck renting a box for under 1k