A high-level prosecutor in Virginia is refusing to bring charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Elizabeth Yusi serves as a prosecutor and supervisor in the DOJ’s Norfolk office. She claims she is resisting intense pressure from President Donald Trump. Her decision will put her in direct conflict with Attorney General Pam Bondi.

It will also conflict with newly-appointed interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan.

James is being investigated for committing mortgage fraud on multiple occasions. The allegations span a period of several decades. The charges include claiming her father as her husband on mortgage documents.

She also allegedly misrepresented the number of units in a property to receive a lower interest rate.

A top prosecutor in Virginia has informed colleagues of her plans. She plans to decline to seek charges against James. She claims she is resisting intense pressure from President Trump.

Two people familiar with her discussions confirmed this information.

Elizabeth Yusi oversees major criminal prosecutions in the Norfolk office. This is part of the Eastern District of Virginia. She has confided to co-workers that she sees no probable cause.

She believes James did not engage in mortgage fraud.

Two sources told MSNBC about Yusi’s plans. Yusi plans to present her conclusion to the president’s new interim U.S. attorney. She will do this in the coming weeks.

Public perception matters in this case. Republicans feel like the system is perpetually rigged against them.

Documents exist showing James misrepresented her mortgages. Naturally, James denies having any criminal intent. Criminal intent would be required in this case.

One might argue that three separate instances stretching back decades offer something toward establishing intent. If a signed confession were required to prove intent, no one would ever be found guilty of fraud.

Prosecutors have an aversion to being forced into charging someone. But where was this extreme conservatism regarding charging decisions under Joe Biden?

Some cases pursued with vigor by career prosecutors specifically targeted those in Trump’s orbit. These cases were arguably weaker than the James case. This leaves Republicans rightfully feeling like this sudden bout of independence is just a bit too convenient.

Most career bureaucrats within the DOJ believe the orange man is bad. But the orange man being bad should not be the deciding factor. It shouldn’t determine whether another person gets away with mortgage fraud.

It certainly seems like there’s enough evidence against Letitia James. The decision should at least go before a grand jury. Having a prosecutor decide on her own to shut things down leads to justified skepticism.

People will question what’s really going on.

Yusi probably won’t be long for her job if she declines to bring charges. The second Trump administration is hellbent on pushing back against double standards. This push happens within the justice system.

That means seeing Democrats prosecuted in ways they gleefully prosecuted their political opponents. This happened over the preceding decade.

Letitia James has been one of Trump’s most aggressive legal opponents. She filed a massive civil fraud case against Trump and his family business. She tried to destroy Trump’s real estate empire in New York.

James campaigned on a promise to get Trump. She made going after the president her top priority. Now she faces her own legal troubles.

But a federal prosecutor is protecting her.

Yusi claims there’s no probable cause to charge James. Yet documents show James lied on mortgage applications. She did this multiple times over many years.

She claimed her father was her husband on one application. This is mortgage fraud. She misrepresented property information to get better loan terms.

This is also mortgage fraud.

But Yusi sees no probable cause. This strains credibility. If Trump or anyone in his orbit had done the same thing, charges would fly.

Career prosecutors eagerly went after Trump associates for much less. They pursued weak cases with extreme aggression. They ruined lives and reputations over minor process crimes.

Now they suddenly develop scruples about charging a Democrat. They claim they’re resisting Trump pressure. But Republicans see through this obvious double standard.

The justice system has been weaponized against conservatives for years. Democrats faced no consequences while Republicans got hammered for everything. Attorney General Bondi and U.S. Attorney Halligan must hold the line.

Yusi should not have the final say on this case. The evidence should go before a grand jury. Let them decide if charges are warranted.

That’s how the system is supposed to work.

But career DOJ officials don’t want equal justice. They want to protect Democrats while destroying Republicans. Yusi’s refusal to charge James proves this point perfectly.

She claims Trump is pressuring her. But the real pressure comes from her fellow Democrats. They want James protected at all costs.

James went after Trump for years. Now Trump’s Justice Department is investigating her. This is simple accountability. Democrats should face the same standards as everyone else.

Yusi won’t be able to protect James forever. Attorney General Bondi and U.S. Attorney Halligan can overrule her decision. They should do exactly that.

The evidence against James deserves consideration by a grand jury. That’s the minimum standard of justice.