The U.S. Attorney leading a federal mortgage fraud investigation involving New York Attorney General Letitia James has resigned, shortly after former President Donald Trump publicly called for his removal.
Erik Siebert, who served as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced his resignation in an internal email on Friday, seen by Reuters.
His decision followed Trump’s comments at the White House, where he told reporters, “I want him out,” citing a loss of confidence.
“In the last eight months, I have had the privilege of leading some of the most dedicated employees in the Department of Justice,” Siebert wrote to staff. He expressed gratitude for their work and commitment to justice.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Siebert had previously voiced skepticism about the strength of the mortgage fraud case against James.
The White House had already warned him privately that he could be dismissed before Trump’s public remarks.
Trump reportedly turned against Siebert after learning that both of Virginia’s Democratic senators supported his nomination.
Siebert had been appointed interim U.S. Attorney in January and was later confirmed by the court for a continued term.
In addition to overseeing the James investigation, Siebert’s office was involved in a separate inquiry into former FBI Director James Comey related to the bureau’s handling of Russian election interference.
In both cases, Siebert reportedly doubted there was enough evidence for prosecution.
The Justice Department probe into James was triggered by allegations from Federal Housing Finance Agency head Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee.
Pulte claimed that James misrepresented her Norfolk, Virginia, home as her primary residence to obtain better mortgage terms and may have also misrepresented her Brooklyn home.
Legal experts and a source familiar with the DOJ’s stance said the case against James lacked strong evidence and was unlikely to result in charges.
Pulte declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
The case is now being led by DOJ official Ed Martin, a vocal Trump ally who is also involved in similar probes into Senator Adam Schiff and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. All three have denied any wrongdoing.
Notably, Martin appeared outside James’ Brooklyn residence in a trench coat for a photo published in the New York Post, telling the paper his role was to “stick the landing” behavior critics say violates DOJ ethical standards.
James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, has dismissed the allegations as retaliatory, linking the investigation to her successful civil fraud lawsuit against Trump, which resulted in a judgment exceeding $500 million.
While a New York appeals court recently tossed out the financial penalty, the underlying fraud ruling remains in place.
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