New York Attorney General Letitia James has just been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice. But the timing and the process raise serious concerns.

James is best known for holding Donald Trump accountable in a civil fraud case. Now, after months of public pressure from Trump, including his calls to have her arrested, federal prosecutors have charged her with mortgage fraud. The charge is based on a 2020 home loan, which the DOJ claims she misrepresented. But here’s the problem: the DOJ’s own career prosecutor reviewed this case and said it wasn’t strong enough to file charges.

That prosecutor was removed and replaced with someone with no experience trying criminal cases, but strong political ties to Trump. Now, charges have been filed.

We don’t know if Letitia James is guilty or innocent. That’s for a court to decide. But we do know this: no one should be charged with a crime because a president wants revenge.

The rule of law means prosecutors should act based on facts and evidence — not political pressure. If legal experts originally said there wasn’t a case, we deserve to know why that changed. Americans of every political background should be able to trust that justice is fair, not forced.

We are calling on the U.S. Department of Justice and Attorney General Pam Bondi to ensure Letitia James is treated like any other citizen, not like a political target. If this case was brought only because of pressure from the White House, it should not continue.

Everyone deserves a fair and unbiased legal process, even when they’ve challenged powerful people.

Sign this petition if you believe justice should never be used as a weapon.

Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images