Donald Trump has blasted U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert, who is investigating New York Attorney General Letitia James, claiming “I fired him.”
The remarks directly contradict reports from ABC News a day earlier that Siebert had resigned amid pressure from Trump administration officials to bring a criminal case against James.
However, in a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed Siebert didn’t quit and he had withdrawn Siebert’s nomination for U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA).
Why It Matters
Siebert’s departure, after declining to pursue charges against one of Trump’s political adversaries, represents a sharp escalation in what critics describe as the president’s campaign of retribution.
What To Know
ABC News reported that U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert stepped down after his office failed to uncover incriminating evidence of mortgage fraud by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Siebert was told on Thursday that President Trump intended to remove him, after which he informed colleagues by email of his decision to resign.
“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,” Siebert wrote. “Thank you for the lessons you have taught me, the sacrifices you have made, and the pursuit of justice you strive for every day.”
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump said he wanted Siebert “out” of his post. According to ABC, Trump officials had pressed the attorney to pursue charges against James despite investigators being unable to establish that she committed a crime.
“It looks to me like she is very guilty of something, but I really don’t know,” Trump said.
He added that his opposition to Siebert was rooted in the fact that Virginia’s two Democratic senators had backed his nomination. “When I saw that he got approved by those two men, I said, pull it, because he can’t be any good,” Trump said. “When I learned that they voted for him, I said, I don’t really want him.”
The investigation was triggered in April, when Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte referred allegations to the Justice Department that James falsified documents related to her 2023 home purchase in Virginia. After five months of inquiries and interviews with 15 witnesses, investigators concluded there was no clear evidence James knowingly falsified records to secure better loan terms, ABC reported earlier this week.
James has denied the allegations. Her lawyer described Siebert’s reported dismissal as a “brazen attack on the rule of law.”
James has been one of President Trump’s most persistent legal adversaries. Since 2019, James has pursued a civil fraud investigation into the Trump Organization, alleging the company inflated asset values by billions of dollars to mislead lenders and insurers.
That case culminated in a trial from October 2023 to January 2024, where Judge Arthur Engoron found Trump and his company liable for fraud. The court eventually ordered the disgorgement of about $364 million and imposed business restrictions on Trump and his sons.
On August 21, 2025, however, a New York appeals court delivered Trump a partial victory. While the panel upheld the fraud finding, it struck down the enormous penalty, calling it excessive.
The legal fight has fueled an escalating political war. Trump has branded James’s prosecution a politically motivated “witch hunt” and even filed lawsuits against her, some of which judges dismissed as frivolous.
At the same time, James has portrayed herself as standing up for the rule of law, vowing that “no one is above the law—not even a former president.”
Tensions have only deepened with new federal investigations into James herself, including the mortgage fraud investigation, and possible civil rights violations in her handling of the Trump case, a move James and her allies see as political retaliation orchestrated by Trump’s allies.
More than 20 attorneys general have publicly defended James, accusing the administration of weaponizing federal power against a state official.
What People Are Saying
Donald Trump said on Truth Social: “Today I withdrew the Nomination of Erik Siebert as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, when I was informed that he received the UNUSUALLY STRONG support of the two absolutely terrible, sleazebag Democrat Senators, from the Great State of Virginia. He didn’t quit, I fired him! Next time let him go in as a Democrat, not a Republican. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
James’ lawyer Abbe Lowell said Friday morning in a statement to ABC News: “Firing people until he finds someone who will bend the law to carry out his revenge has been the President’s pattern, and it’s illegal. Punishing this prosecutor, a Trump appointee, for doing his job sends a clear and chilling message that anyone who dares uphold the law over politics will face the same fate.”
What Happens Next
Siebert reportedly told his colleagues that he intends to continue working as a line prosecutor in the office.
It is unclear if he will be permitted to return to his previous role as an assistant U.S. attorney. It is also unclear who will take over as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.