Prosecutors Said to Pursue New Investigation of Letitia James [View all]

Source: New York Times

Jan. 8, 2026, 12:22 p.m. ET


Federal prosecutors are investigating financial transactions involving the New York attorney general, Letitia James, and her longtime hairdresser, opening a new front in their pursuit of one of President Trump’s perceived enemies, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The hairdresser, Iyesata Marsh, has known Ms. James for years. Last month, Ms. Marsh was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana and charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with the purchase of a Land Rover about three years ago. Court documents accuse Ms. Marsh and her nephew of using the identity and personal information of an unidentified woman in Ohio to buy the vehicle.

The investigation is still in its early stages, but prosecutors are interested in talking to Ms. Marsh about past financial transactions involving Ms. James or her campaign, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the inquiry.

The new front in the Justice Department’s long-running campaign to build a criminal case against Ms. James shows that the efforts extend beyond one federal prosecutor’s office, and highlight the degree to which investigators are scouring her professional, personal and political life for evidence of wrongdoing.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/politics/letitia-james-trump-justice-department.html