Trump's indictment of New York attorney general Letitia James stirs concerns for Black women leaders [View all]
Source: AP
Updated 9:44 PM EDT, October 11, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — The coalition of New York NAACP chapters had just begun its annual state convention when Letitia James, a longtime member and the state’s attorney general, canceled her appearance. James had just been indicted by the Justice Department for alleged mortgage fraud, a charge which she called “baseless” and “a grave violation of our constitutional order.”
For the New York convention’s organizers, the moment was alarming and underscored the gathering’s importance, which featured multiple sessions on building political power at the state level in response to what NAACP leaders called federal attacks on social welfare, civil rights and the rule of law.
“It was through our collective action that a democracy was built,” said NAACP New York State Conference President L. Joy Williams. “What we have to do is not only defend against what is happening now, but we have to push further past where we were before, to build a system to build a better American democracy that we all deserve.”
The indictment of James, who had previously prosecuted the Trump Organization for business fraud, immediately sparked debate over whether the justice system had been politicized for President Donald Trump’s personal grievances. It also drew many parallels with the recent effort by Trump to remove a Federal Reserve Board governor, Lisa Cook, from her post over similar allegations.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/letitia-james-indictment-black-women-wealth-gap-f24491de06ce24ab7f0042cb91d0cc47
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