Ed Martin, newly appointed as special counsel to investigate possible criminal conduct by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), recently visited James’ Brooklyn multi-family property as part of a probe into alleged mortgage fraud.
Martin’s visit to the Clinton Hill brownstone came a week after Attorney General Pam Bondi tasked him with leading mortgage fraud investigations into both Schiff and James. Grand juries in Virginia and Maryland are currently considering indictments against the two Democrats over claims they misrepresented property values to secure more favorable loan terms.
James’ Brooklyn property at 296 Lafayette Avenue is officially listed as a five-unit dwelling, but she is accused of falsely describing it as a four-unit building on mortgage applications, building permits, and government assistance filings.
The alleged misrepresentation enabled James to qualify for loans through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that offer lower down payments and interest rates—benefits available only to residential properties with four or fewer units.
Footage obtained by the New York Post shows Martin, wearing a beige trench coat, inspecting the Brooklyn property on Friday afternoon. The report noted that several weathered but still legible labels reading “1 Floor,” “2 Floor,” “3A,” and “3B” were visible from the exterior.
The probe into James’ real estate holdings has been underway since April, following a criminal referral to the Justice Department from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte.
Pulte alleged James may have “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire government backed assistance and loans and more favorable loan terms” by listing a Norfolk, Virginia property as her primary residence despite serving as attorney general of New York. The Brooklyn property was listed as her second residence.
