{"id":20339,"date":"2025-10-27T22:00:36","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T22:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=20339"},"modified":"2025-10-27T22:00:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T22:00:36","slug":"prosecutor-who-resisted-letitia-james-indictment-fired-over-leaked-memo-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=20339","title":{"rendered":"Prosecutor Who Resisted Letitia James Indictment Fired Over Leaked Memo"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This article may contain commentary
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A Virginia federal prosecutor who opposed filing mortgage fraud charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James allegedly forwarded investigative documents containing James\u2019 personal information to her private email account, according to an email reviewed by CNN.<\/p>\n

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The prosecutor, Beth Yusi, was dismissed earlier this month, at least in part due to her handling of the sensitive material, according to individuals familiar with the matter who spoke to the outlet.<\/p>\n

Yusi\u2019s attorney Margaret Donovan told the outlet that the former prosecutor \u201chas no record of any such email\u201d and \u201chas never used her personal email account for any portion of any investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMs. Yusi is a well-respected prosecutor, a leader among her peers, and a consummate professional with nearly two decades of experience,\u201d Donovan said.<\/p>\n

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Sharing evidence from an active investigation is generally not illegal if it does not involve classified material, but it does constitute a violation of Department of Justice policy, CNN noted.<\/p>\n

Before her dismissal, Yusi wrote an internal memo outlining prosecutors\u2019 conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges against James. Her firing prompted swift criticism from those alleging that the Justice Department has been acting under pressure from the White House to target former President Donald Trump\u2019s political opponents.<\/p>\n

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CNN previously reported that U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, who oversees the Virginia office, suspected that some attorneys were leaking \u201cunauthorized\u201d information to the media.<\/p>\n

Halligan personally presented the case against James to the grand jury that ultimately handed down the indictment, the outlet reported.<\/p>\n

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A Department of Justice official told CNN that Halligan was never shown the internal memo outlining prosecutors\u2019 reasoning for not pursuing charges against James. However, multiple sources familiar with the case said the memo was thoroughly reviewed by those involved in preparing the indictment before it was presented to a grand jury.<\/p>\n

ames appeared in federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, on Friday morning for her arraignment on a two-count indictment related to statements she allegedly made about a second home she purchased in 2020.<\/p>\n

James, a longtime critic of Trump who vowed to go after him before she ever took office,\u00a0pleaded not guilty<\/a>\u00a0to two counts over whether she misled a bank to get more favorable mortgage terms. Her trial is set for January 26, 2026.<\/p>\n

The charges against James come amid a series of prosecutions involving prominent political figures, including some viewed as opponents of the president \u2014 actions that have reportedly drawn objections from several career prosecutors, some of whom have since been dismissed or resigned, Fox News\u00a0reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

James faces two federal charges: one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years behind bars.<\/p>\n

The indictment centers on James\u2019s 2020 purchase of a home in Norfolk, Virginia. Prosecutors allege that she misrepresented details about the property to a bank to secure more favorable loan terms.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is nothing more than a continuation of the president\u2019s desperate weaponization of our justice system,\u201d James\u00a0said in a statement<\/a>\u00a0after she was indicted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese charges are baseless, and the president\u2019s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n