Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, has created a new piece of legislation that, if passed, will create mandatory minimum sentences of a year or more for public officials who commit bank fraud, tax fraud, or mortgage fraud — and he took a shot at New York Attorney General Letitia James by calling it the LETITIA Act, a riff on the ongoing investigation into James’ alleged mortgage fraud.
For background, on August 4, 2025, a press release confirmed that Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), along with several other Republican lawmakers, was getting ready to introduce the Law Enforcement Tools To Interdict Troubling Investments in Abodes (LETITIA) Act, a new piece of legislation targeting “crooked politicians” and proposing stricter penalties for fraud-related charges, including one-year prison sentences for mortgage fraud.
In a statement published on August 4, Sen. Cornyn explained the rationale behind the bill, saying, “The American people should be able to trust their elected officials to follow the letter of the law, not take advantage of their positions for personal gain.” He continued, “This legislation would empower President Trump to hold crooked politicians like New York’s Letitia James accountable for defrauding their constituents, violating their oath of office, and breaking the law, and I’m proud to lead my Republican colleagues in introducing it.”
In addition, Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), who introduced the act alongside Sen. Cornyn and others, said that “no one is above the law,” going on to single out public officials as being held to a higher standard and “supposed to hold the people’s trust.”
Furthermore, Sen. Fischer added, “We should never turn a blind eye when public officials commit fraud or criminal acts. That’s why I’m proud to join Senator Cornyn in introducing this commonsense legislation to ensure public officials are held fully accountable for their actions.”
Moreover, Sen. Steve Daines, who also introduced the act, said that because “serving in public office is a privilege,” it was essential for public officials to put American citizens and the “good of our country” first before “personal gain,” going on to add, “This bill will increase penalties for public officials who commit fraud and help ensure they serve with integrity and honesty, and I’ll fight with my colleagues to get it across the finish line.”
Prior to the act’s introduction, several prominent Democrats made headlines for being accused of mortgage fraud, including the act’s namesake, Attorney General Letitia James. The press release from Sen. Cornyn provided background on AG James’ case, explaining that the attorney general is the subject of an ongoing investigation “following a referral from the Federal Housing Finance Agency earlier this year alleging mortgage application fraud involving her properties in New York and Virginia.”
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Likewise, a whistleblower report released in 2024 led Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) to come under intense scrutiny after evidence was presented that he had committed a similar form of mortgage fraud, which President Trump himself explained by writing, “Adam Schiff said that his primary residence was in MARYLAND to get a cheaper mortgage and rip off America, when he must LIVE in CALIFORNIA because he was a Congressman from CALIFORNIA.”
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