Black women stand with Letitia James

Hours after New York Attorney General Letitia “Tish” James was indicted on federal bank-fraud charges, a wave of outrage and solidarity surged across the nation. From Capitol Hill to community boardrooms, Black women mobilized, rallied and raised their voices in defense of one of their own.

The Justice Department indictment, filed last week in federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, accuses James of misrepresenting financial information on a 2019 mortgage application. Prosecutors claim she listed a home as a personal residence while allegedly renting it out, saving about $19,000 over the life of the loan. If convicted, she could face up to 30 years in prison and fines approaching $1 million per count.

The New York Times reported Sunday that it was James’ grand-niece who occupied the property, and she testified to an earlier grand jury that she doesn’t pay rent.

James has “flatly and forcefully” denied the allegations, calling the case politically motivated. Her initial court appearance before U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker, a Biden appointee, is scheduled for Oct. 24.

The indictment arrived just weeks after former FBI Director James Comey — another longtime critic of Donald Trump — was charged by the same U.S. Attorney’s Office. In recent weeks, Trump accidentally posted on Truth Social a message urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute James, Comey and U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, all of whom he considers political adversaries.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a fellow New Yorker, said Letitia James has “courageously been at the forefront of successfully challenging the Trump administration’s lawless and deeply unpopular overreach.” He noted she has remained “guided by the Constitution” even while becoming a target.

Three years ago, James sued Trump and the Trump Organization, alleging he inflated his assets to secure favorable loans and insurance coverage. That civil case ended with a $454 million judgment — later reduced on appeal — but it cemented her standing as one of Trump’s fiercest adversaries.

The backlash to James’ indictment was immediate. The National Bar Association, the NAACP, and the National Council of Negro Women each issued statements condemning the charge as politically tainted.

“This indictment is unjust and dangerous,” said Ashley L. Upkins, president of the National Bar Association. “The National Bar Association calls upon every lawyer, judge, and citizen who believes in justice to stand united in this moment. Our silence cannot be bought, borrowed, or bullied.”

Shavon Arline-Bradley, president and CEO of the association, said the indictment “is something we’ve been grappling with since the start of this administration,” describing it as part of a larger effort to marginalize Black women in leadership.

U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke called the accusations “a sham,” saying they “mirror a dangerous pattern of intimidation against women who dare to hold the powerful accountable.”

That sentiment resonates deeply in St. Louis, where several prominent Black women have faced comparable scrutiny.

Former Mayor Tishaura Jones, the first Black woman to lead the city, said she recognized the pattern instantly.

“There was a constant moving of the goalposts,” she told The American, recalling how even routine issues — from potholes to snowstorms — were politicized during her term. “Somehow I was to blame for the weather, just like Mayor Karen Bass was being blamed for the fires in Los Angeles.”

Jones and longtime City Comptroller Darlene Green both lost reelection earlier this year in what many described as one of the biggest power shifts in city government. Jones called it “an election of severe misinformation,” pointing to campaign ads and online attacks that portrayed her administration as corrupt — allegations she says were baseless.

Her experience, she added, made the James indictment feel painfully familiar.

Across social media, journalists and activists drew parallels between the treatment of James and other high-profile Black women in public life, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, who have each faced outsized criticism.

Journalist Jemele Hill posted that “Letitia James deserves the same energy Jimmy Kimmel got,” arguing that both James and the late-night TV comedian have been singled out in ways that expose double standards.

To many, the case represents not just a test of one woman’s integrity but a measure of how the justice system responds when power and race intersect.

James is expected to enter her plea later this month. Behind her stands a broad coalition of legal, civic and faith leaders determined to show that she will not face this battle alone.

“We’ve seen this before,” said Upkins. “When Black women rise to power, they’re too often met with attempts to tear them down. But history shows — we rise anyway.”

Leah Gullet is a St. Louis-based writer and producer. April Ryan of Black Press USA contributed to this report.