Photo: Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images News / Getty Images
The Trump administration has launched a new investigation targeting New York Attorney General Letitia James, this time focusing on her financial relationship with her longtime hairdresser.
According to The New York Times, federal prosecutors are seeking to interview Iyesata Marsh, a hairstylist who has worked with James for years, about financial transactions connected to James and her 2018 campaign for attorney general. Marsh was charged last month in Louisiana federal court with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in an unrelated case involving the purchase of a Land Rover.
James has not been accused of any wrongdoing connected to Marsh.
The Department of Justice is reportedly scrutinizing payments made by James’ campaign to Marsh for renting a Brooklyn studio and for services related to a musical performance at a political event. James’ attorneys say the probe is yet another effort by the Trump administration to revive criminal allegations against the AG after multiple failed attempts.
“This is a revenge-driven fishing expedition,” Anthony Coley, a political analyst and former DOJ official under the Biden administration, said. “The good thing is that the judicial system has consistently seen these efforts for what they are — political, not grounded in facts or law.”
James’ attorney, Abbe D. Lowell, sharply criticized the latest investigation, calling it part of a “string of failures” by the Trump administration to prosecute the New York attorney general.
“The DOJ is using a completely unrelated criminal case to shake down people based solely on their association with Ms. James,” Lowell said in a statement. “Like their earlier attempts, this attack is doomed to fail.”
Trump has repeatedly signaled his desire to retaliate against James, who successfully prosecuted him for civil business fraud. In 2024, a New York judge found Trump liable for inflating his net worth by billions of dollars to secure favorable loans and insurance terms.
Trump’s Justice Department has pursued multiple avenues to bring criminal charges against James, including allegations of mortgage fraud, claims she has categorically denied. Those efforts have repeatedly collapsed. In November 2025, a federal judge dismissed charges against James after ruling that a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney was unlawfully appointed. In December, two separate grand juries declined to indict her.
Earlier this week, another judge disqualified a Trump-appointed prosecutor from overseeing investigations into James, ruling that he was not legally serving as an acting U.S. attorney because he lacked Senate confirmation.
“The desperation is palpable,” Coley said. “Every failed attempt only reinforces how dangerous it is when prosecutorial power is used to settle political scores.”
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