New York Attorney General Letitia James defiantly vowed to "not capitulate" during her first public appearance since being indicted on federal bank fraud charges related to the purchase of her Virginia home.
James made her remarks at a Monday campaign rally, reportedly held in the city’s Washington Heights neighborhood, for New York City Democrat mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani.
"I will not bow. I will not break. I will not bend. I will not capitulate. I will not give in. I will not give up," she cried to cheers and applause in video posted online. "You come for me, you gotta come through all of us."
The Democrat warned of "powerful voices trying to silence truth and punish dissent," and "weaponize justice for political gain," though she did not name President Donald Trump, who had pressed Justice Department officials in recent months to charge her.
"We are witnessing the fraying of our democracy, the erosion of our system of government," James said. "This, my friends, is a defining moment in our history. Let us stand together to defend our rights, to protect every safeguard, every institution, every immigrant."
With the Nov. 4 election just three weeks away, the event signaled the final stretch of Mamdani's campaign.
The self-proclaimed democratic socialist has been an outspoken supporter of James, a longtime political adversary of Trump. On Friday, Mamdani denounced the federal charges James is facing, calling the indictment a "shameless act of political retribution" by the Republican president.
A grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned the indictment against New York's top law enforcement official last week. James was charged with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in connection with a house she bought in Norfolk, Virginia, for $137,000 in 2020.
"These charges are baseless, and the president's own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost," James said in statement following the indictment. "The president’s actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties."
"I am a proud woman of faith, and I know that faith and fear cannot share the same space," she continued. "And so today I am not fearful, I am fearless, and as my faith teaches me, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights. And I will continue to do my job."
If convicted on the felony counts, James would automatically lose her position under New York state law. She is expected to make her initial appearance in Virginia federal court on Oct. 24.
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