WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. state of Virginia on Thursday.

U.S. media noted that the charges against James are not yet clear. The Justice Department previously launched a criminal probe into James around alleged mortgage fraud and later expanded its investigation.

In a statement, James called the indictment "a continuation of the president's desperate weaponization of our justice system."

"These charges are baseless, and the president's own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost," said the prominent Democrat.

The indictment came two weeks after a grand jury in the same court -- the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia -- indicted former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly making a false statement and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. On Wednesday, Comey pleaded not guilty to the two charges.

The indictments of Comey and James came after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate them, along with Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat and longtime Trump critic.

During the Biden administration, James' office sued Trump -- who was then a former president -- and the Trump Organization for fraud in 2022.

In her statement on Thursday, James defended her lawsuit. "I stand strongly behind my office's litigation against the Trump Organization. We conducted a two-year investigation based on the facts and evidence -- not politics. Judges have upheld the trial court's finding that Donald Trump, his company, and his two sons are liable for fraud," she said.

In a recent Truth Social post, Trump referred to James as "scum" and "corrupt," demanding her removal from office. ■