Bondi Names Special Prosecutor in Mortgage Fraud Cases Against Schiff, James
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday announced the appointment of a special prosecutor to oversee politically sensitive cases against New York Attorney General Letitia James and U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, both Democrats — but they might not like her pick.
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Bondi told Fox News’ Peter Doocy that a special prosecutor is necessary to avoid any appearance of political animus that could influence a jury or judge’s decision about whether either defendant is guilty. James and Schiff are both accused of misrepresenting their residences to obtain better mortgage rates, ABC News reported.
Taking over will be Ed Martin, President Donald Trump’s nominee to become U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia that was tanked by retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
Martin’s selection came the same day a grand jury was convened to consider charges against James, who was referred to Bondi by federal mortgage authorities after discrepancies were found on paperwork for several properties she purchased.
Documents appeared to show James listing her father as her husband — potentially to get more favorable home loan terms for married couples — and undercounting the number of units in a Brooklyn brownstone in what may have been an attempt to avoid costly safety upgrades.
Schiff was referred for claiming his primary residence at a Maryland property he bought in 2009, which he did not list as a secondary residence until 2021. At the time, Schiff was serving as a member of the U.S. House representing California, where he was constitutionally required to live.
Both Democrats have denied the allegations and accused the Trump administration of weaponizing the Justice Department against them — a claim Trump made against them during his own criminal and civil cases.
“Any weaponization of the justice system should disturb every American,” a spokesperson for James said at the time.
“We stand strongly behind our successful litigation against the Trump Organization and the National Rifle Association, and we will continue to stand up for New Yorkers’ rights.”
In a separate statement, James’ personal attorney, Abbe D. Lowell, called the subpoenas “improper.”
“Investigating the fraud case Attorney General James won against President Trump and his businesses has to be the most blatant and desperate example of this administration carrying out the president’s political retribution campaign,” Lowell said.
“Weaponizing the Department of Justice to try to punish an elected official for doing her job is an attack on the rule of law and a dangerous escalation by this administration.”
FBI Director Kash Patel in May confirmed the existence of a separate investigation into James after a Trump administration official accused her of mortgage fraud. James’ lawyer has said that the accusation was a lie based on a purposeful misreading of documents in a lawful real estate transaction.
Martin, who was named special prosecutor to help conduct that probe, has been leading the department’s Weaponization Working Group since his nomination for District of Columbia U.S. attorney was pulled amid Republican lawmakers’ concerns about his scant prosecutorial experience and support for Jan. 6 rioters.
Martin is also involved in a separate investigation into Schiff, whom Trump has called to be prosecuted over mortgage fraud allegations related to a property in Maryland.
Schiff’s attorney called the allegations “transparently false, stale, and long debunked.”
“Mr. Martin is a January 6-defending lawyer who has repeatedly pursued baseless and politically motivated investigations to fulfill demands to investigate and prosecute perceived enemies,” said Preet Bharara, a former U.S. attorney in New York who is representing the senator.
“Any supposed investigation led by him would be the very definition of weaponization of the justice process.”
Schiff has claimed that Trump conspired with Russian forces to win the 2016 election, but never produced the evidence he said he had.
James successfully prosecuted Trump for inflating the value of assets owned by the Trump Organization, which resulted in nearly half a billion dollars in fines. Trump is appealing the decision.
Full Story : The Truth About the Axe in the Funeral Home
The funeral home was too beautiful for the terror hiding inside it.
Cream-colored walls glowed beneath soft lights. White flowers surrounded the glossy white coffin like a cloud. Gold handles shone along its sides, and a large floral arrangement rested neatly on the lid, as if beauty could make death easier to accept.
Around the coffin, mourners stood in black formal clothes, silent and stiff, their eyes lowered in practiced grief.
At the front of the room stood the widow.
Margaret Vale wore a black funeral dress, pearl earrings, and a mourning veil that softened her sharp face but could not hide the tension in her mouth. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her, but her fingers kept tightening against each other.
Behind her stood a male mourner in a black suit, white shirt, and black tie. His face was pale, his posture uncertain, as if he was waiting for something to go wrong.
Then the doors burst open.
A woman in an orange work uniform stepped into the room.
Her name was Claire Mason.
Her messy light brown hair was tied back. Her pale face looked exhausted, as if she had not slept in days. A white apron hung over her uniform, stained faintly from work. In both hands, she gripped a wood-handled axe.
Gasps moved through the guests.
Margaret turned sharply beneath her veil.
“No,” she whispered.
Claire walked straight toward the coffin.
A few mourners stepped back. Someone dropped a program onto the polished floor. The male mourner behind Margaret moved forward, but he stopped when he saw Claire’s face.
She was not confused.
She was not hysterical.
She looked shattered, but certain.
Margaret’s voice rose in panic. “Stop her!”
Claire lifted the axe above her head.
“Open it!”
The blade came down hard onto the glossy white coffin lid.
The impact cracked through the room like thunder.
The white flower arrangement shook violently. A golden handle rattled. A jagged line split across the polished surface of the lid. Several guests cried out and stumbled backward.
Claire stood over the coffin, breathing hard, both hands still locked around the axe handle.
Margaret clutched her chest.
The male mourner stared in disbelief.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Claire slowly looked up at him.
Her eyes were wet, but they did not break.
“What they buried,” she said, “isn’t the truth.”
