A Virginia prosecutor resigned under pressure from President Donald Trump after his investigation into allegations of mortgage fraud against a political adversary of the White House failed to bring criminal charges.
Erik Siebert informed staff he would resign shortly after Trump told reporters on Friday: “I want him out.”
The Trump administration has accused New York Attorney General Letitia James of falsifying records to receive better mortgage deals. Siebert reportedly expressed doubts about the strength of the case.
James, a Democrat who won a civil fraud suit against Trump in 2023, has previously denied the allegations as “baseless” and motivated by “revenge”.
Siebert had been acting attorney for the prestigious Eastern District of Virginia office since January, and his nomination was pending confirmation in the US Senate.
“This evening, I submitted my resignation as Interim US Attorney for EDVA,” he wrote in an email to staff on Friday.
“For the last eight months, I have had the pleasure of leading the finest and most exceptional of DOJ employees who care deeply about our nation and our EDVA community.”
“Thank you for the lessons you have taught me, the sacrifices you have made, and the pursuit of justice you strive for every day.”
Administration officials with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) allege James falsified bank and property records to receive better loan agreements for a home in Norfolk, Virginia.
The New York Times reported Siebert told senior justice department officials their investigations hadn’t unearthed enough evidence to prosecute James. The Associated Press reported Siebert had been told to resign or be fired.
When asked about Siebert and the case, Trump told reporters he had not been following it closely.
“It looks to me like she’s very guilty of something, but I really don’t know,” he told reporters referring to James.
The Republican president said he wanted to fire Siebert because Virginia’s two Democratic senators had supported the attorney’s nomination.
“When I saw that he got two senators, two gentlemen that are bad news, as far as I’m concerned, when I saw that he got approved by these two men, I said, ‘pull it,’ because he can’t be any good,” the president told reporters, referring to senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.
“When I learned that they voted for him, I said, I don’t really want him,” the president added.
In May, Kaine and Warner wrote a joint statement saying they would vote for Siebert’s confirmation, describing him as someone who has “dedicated his career to protecting public safety”.
The Eastern District office is also investigating James Comey, the former FBI director who was fired by Trump during his first term in office.
By BBC News
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