Letitia James After Indictment: 'I Will Not Give In'

NY AG rallies for Zohran Mamdani, urging supporters to 'press on'
Posted Oct 14, 2025 11:20 AM CDT
Letitia James After Indictment: 'I Fear No Man'
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks at a campaign rally for New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in New York on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025.   (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

New York Attorney General Letitia James made her first public appearance since being indicted on federal charges Monday, drawing a standing ovation at a campaign rally for mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani in Manhattan. Speaking at the United Palace Theater, James appeared defiant, telling the crowd, "I will not bow, I will not break, I will not bend, I will not capitulate. I will not give in. I will not give up. You come for me, you gotta come through all of us," per CBS News. She did not mention President Trump by name, though the two have a long history as political adversaries. She did say, "I fear no man."

James faces charges of bank fraud and making a false statement related to a home purchase in Virginia. She has dismissed the indictment as "baseless" and said she will fight the charges. Her remarks at the rally suggested she sees the prosecution as politically motivated. Of Mamdani, she said, "He, like me, knows what it's like to be attacked, to be called names, to be threatened, to be harassed." She urged supporters to "press on" and "claim the victory." Mamdani, who has consistently supported James, praised her record and called on the crowd to rally behind her. "We are an existential threat to billionaires who think they can buy our democracy," he said to cheers, per the New York Times.

Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman and the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, currently leads in the polls over former Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. He said Monday that Trump's "authoritarian administration is waging a scorched-earth campaign of retribution against any who dared oppose him," per the Times. James' indictment has not dampened her support among Democratic voters; her campaign reports raising about $1 million since the charges were announced, much of it from new donors, per CBS. She's next due in court on Oct. 24.

Read These Next
Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X