New York State Attorney General Letitia “Tish” James addressed her federal indictment for mortgage fraud, prompted by the Trump administration, at an emotional “Hands Off Tish” rally in Brooklyn this past weekend.

James pleaded not guilty to the charge on Friday, Oct. 24, in Virginia, according to the Associated Press.

“My heart is filled with joy and my heart is very heavy at this point in time,” said James from the pulpit at the First Baptist Church on October 27. She was surrounded by longtime political allies and friends, as well as union members, clergy, and community members.

James is the first Black woman to hold statewide office in New York, and has been in office since 2018. She won a $355 million fraud lawsuit against President Donald Trump from 2022. The fine portion of the verdict was later overturned, said the AP.

Trump went on to become the first U.S president to be convicted of felony crimes on 34 counts, maintaining it was a “rigged” trial in 2024. Trump publicly called on the Justice Department to prosecute James and his other political enemies last month. No evidence of wrongdoing was found until Trump installed Lindsey Halligan as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia to do his bidding, reported the AP.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi moved forward with a mortgage fraud case against James, in which James was accused of lying in the process of purchasing a home in Norfolk, Va., to get favorable loan terms. The DOJ also issued two subpoenas related to the civil case against Trump and a National Rifle Association case.

James explained at the rally that she bought the house in Norfolk for her great-niece and her niece’s children. “That’s what we do. You take your blessings and you pass it on, and let’s be honest: Sometimes family isn’t perfect,” said James. “But they’re my family anyway and I will always support them.”

“Free people do not stand by while others are bound,” said L. Joy Williams, president of the New York State Conference of the NAACP, one of the main organizers of the rally.

Other speakers at the rally included National Urban League President Marc Morial; Ashley Sharpton, founder and director of the National Action Network Youth Huddle; 1199SEIU President April Verrett; New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman; Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; civil rights activist Maya Wiley; Rep. Yvette Clarke; and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Many of the speakers said that the indictment was little more than a “dog whistle” to silence Black leadership who are resistant to Trump’s agenda.

“We stand with Tish James until these baseless charges are dismissed and justice is served,” said Jeffries.

“What we are witnessing is a creep toward tyranny in this nation,” said Morial. “Totalitarianism exists where a leader uses fear to silence their adversaries. Totalitarianism exists where a corrupt leader seeks to control information. Totalitarianism exists where a leader seeks to create a cult of personality around them, so whether they’re right or wrong, like knocking down parts of the White House, nonetheless, people support them.”

James’s next trial date is in January 2026. Her attorney is arguing that the charge is a vindictive prosecution brought on by the president and should be dismissed.

In a similar position, current Mayor Eric Adams was indicted in 2024 for federal bribery and corruption charges. He often claimed that he was a “target” under former President Joe Biden’s “vindictive” DOJ. After several months of complying with Trump once he got in office, the charges against Adams were dropped in April 2025.

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