NEW: Special Counsel Inspects Letitia James’ House As Grand Jury Weighs Charges

James’ Brooklyn property, located at 296 Lafayette Avenue, is officially classified as a five-unit dwelling; however, she has been accused of misrepresenting the building on mortgage applications, building permits, and government assistance filings. On all such documents, she indicated that the property contained only four units.

This alleged misrepresentation enabled her to apply for loans with reduced down payments and lower interest rates through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are exclusively available for residential properties with four or fewer units.

Footage acquired by the New York Post depicts Martin, attired in a beige trench coat, examining the Brooklyn property on Friday afternoon. The report indicates that several weathered yet discernible labels marked “1 Floor,” “2 Floor,” “3A,” and “3B” were visible from the exterior.

At one point, a neighbor approached Martin and inquired about his presence. “Tell me why you’re here,” an unidentified blonde woman insisted. “We know who lives here . . . You’re not here about the houses. You’re here because of who lives here. It’s my neighborhood. It’s my block. I have a right to know what you guys are doing.

Martin responded, “I am simply pleased to be on a block observing houses . . . I am merely looking at houses, fascinating houses. This house holds significance.”

“It does not,” the neighbor replied. “It is just like every other tract house on this block constructed by developers.”

“They are stunning, a lovely neighborhood,” Martin remarked to the woman before departing.

The inquiry into Letitia James’ real estate holdings has been in progress since April, following a criminal referral sent to the Justice Department by Bill Pulte, the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Pulte claimed that James may have “falsified bank documents and property records to obtain government-backed assistance and loans, as well as more advantageous loan terms” by designating a property in Norfolk, Virginia, as her primary residence, despite her role as the Attorney General of New York. The property in Brooklyn was identified as her secondary residence.

“Ms. James was the incumbent Attorney General of New York and is legally obligated to maintain her primary residence within the state of New York — even though her mortgage applications indicate her intention to consider the Norfolk, VA property as her primary home,” Pulte stated in the criminal referral.

“It seems that Ms. James’ misrepresentations regarding her property and mortgage may have persisted into her recent 2023 acquisition of the Norfolk, VA property, aimed at securing a lower interest rate and more favorable loan conditions.”

The letter further accused James of having “consistently misrepresented” the New York property, which she purchased in 2001, “as only having four units in both building permit applications and various mortgage documents and applications.” Additionally, James is alleged to have listed her father as her spouse on mortgage documents to comply with lending regulations.

Martin is also leading the investigation into Senator Schiff, who is alleged to have designated a Maryland property he owns as his primary residence while refinancing a loan. Both Schiff and James have denied any allegations of misconduct.

“Bill Pulte and his FHFA team initiated this with his criminal referral,” Martin remarked last week. “And as Tish James and Adam Schiff frequently assert: ‘Nobody is above the law.’