A Virginia federal prosecutor who opposed bringing bank fraud charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James was fired after allegedly mishandling sensitive information related to the case, according to a report.
Beth Yusi, who had worked out of the Norfolk office for the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, allegedly sent investigative files containing James’ personally identifying information to her private email account, CNN reported on Friday, citing an internal email.
Yusi, who had been employed by the Justice Department since 2010, was axed earlier this month.
Several media reports suggested Yusi was fired for pushing back against pressure from the Trump administration to charge James.
The former assistant US attorney had reportedly authored an internal memo finding that there was no probable cause to file charges against James, who is accused of bank fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution related to her 2020 purchase of Norfolk, Va., property.
However, Yusi was dismissed, at least in part, because of her alleged mishandling of case information, sources familiar with her firing told CNN.
Lindsey Halligan, the interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, had suspected attorneys in her office were leaking information about the case to the media.“Ms. Yusi is a well-respected prosecutor, a leader among her peers, and a consummate professional with nearly two decades of experience,” Margaret Donovan, Yusi’s attorney, told the outlet. .
Donovan added that her client “has no record of any such email” and “has never used her personal email account for any portion of any investigation.”
James pleaded not guilty in Norfolk federal court Friday to the two charges against her.
If convicted on both counts, James faces up to 60 years in prison and a fine of up to $2 million.
The indictment, brought by Halligan, accuses James of using the Norfolk home she purchased with a $109,600 loan as a rental investment property, despite signing documents that explicitly designated James as the “sole borrower to occupy and use the property.”
By signing the second home rider, James obtained more favorable mortgage terms, saving her about $19,000, according to prosecutors.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
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