Letitia James Hires Hunter Biden’s Former Lawyer as Criminal Referral Battle Escalates

New York Attorney General Letitia James has retained Abbe Lowell — best known for representing Hunter Biden — to fight back against a Department of Justice criminal referral alleging mortgage fraud. The story was first broken by The Ingraham Angle, and this latest development signals that the case is turning into a legal and political battle.

The criminal referral, made by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, accuses James of submitting false information related to properties she owned. The referral alleges that James misrepresented her principal residence status to obtain more favorable loan terms and that documents tied to her properties contained discrepancies regarding the number of residential units. Officials also cite decades-old mortgage forms submitted by James’s late father that inaccurately described their relationship.

James has denied the allegations, calling them “baseless” and part of a “revenge tour” by her political opponents.

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Attorney Abbe Lowell Challenges the Referral

Letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi from Abbe Lowell, lawyer for New York Attorney General Letitia James

In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Lowell urged the DOJ to reject the referral, claiming it was motivated by political retribution.
“The stunning hypocrisy of President Trump’s complaint that the Justice Department had been ‘politicized’ and ‘weaponized’ against him is laid bare,” Lowell wrote, “as he and others in his administration are now asking you to undertake the very same practice.”

Lowell described the referral as relying on “long-disproven allegations” and criticized the Federal Housing Finance Agency Director, William Pulte, for basing the referral partly on “media reports.” He also pointed to past statements by President Trump vowing “retribution” against political opponents, including Attorney General James.

The letter specifically addresses the properties at issue:

• For the Norfolk, Virginia property, Lowell claims James had made it clear in loan documents that she would not reside there, despite a later power of attorney form mistakenly listing it as her primary residence.

• Regarding the Brooklyn property, Lowell argued that despite an old certificate of occupancy listing five units, tax and housing records confirm the property has been used as a four-unit residence.

• On the Queens property, Lowell states that mortgage paperwork mistakenly listing James as a “spouse” rather than a “daughter” was filled out by her late father, not by James herself.

The referral, however, maintains that accurate disclosure of property ownership and occupancy status is critical in mortgage lending, and that false statements — even if decades old — warrant scrutiny under the law.

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Legal and Political Stakes Grow

Lowell’s letter appeals directly to Attorney General Bondi’s past testimony during her confirmation process, where she pledged to uphold the independence of the Department of Justice and to avoid politicizing prosecutions.

Meanwhile, officials aligned with the Trump administration argue that the allegations against James raise serious integrity concerns, particularly given her aggressive past use of the legal system against Trump and his businesses.

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