Attorney-general of New York and a longtime foe of Donald Trump. She successfully sued Mr Trump for fraud at his real-estate business. During her 2018 campaign she promised to be a "real pain in [his] ass" and said "he's going to know my name personally."
In October 2025 she was indicted on two felony counts related to a mortgage application. Prosecutors allege she lied on an application for a Virginia property, attesting it would be her second home when she in fact rented it out. To secure a conviction, prosecutors must prove her intent and that the misrepresentations were material—that is, that the bank would not otherwise have offered the loan. Ms James called the charges "baseless".
The indictment, together with perjury charges filed against James Comey, the former FBI director Trump also fired, marked a new stage in the use of the Department of Justice as a tool for presidential score-settling.
Anybody with money to burn will easily find someone to tend the fire.