Who is Elizabeth Yusi? Prosecutor who rejected Donald Trump's pressure to charge Letitia James fired

Senior federal prosecutor Elizabeth Yusi, who resisted President Donald Trump’s push to bring charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, was fired. Yusi, who led major criminal cases in the Norfolk office of the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, was dismissed on Friday evening along with her deputy, Kristin Bird. The decision came after Yusi reportedly pushed back against Trump’s calls to indict James, telling colleagues there was no probable cause to support the charges.

Who is Elizabeth Yusi?

Yusi’s dismissal marks a sudden end to her distinguished 18-year career at the Justice Department. A University of Virginia alumna with a law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law, Yusi began her career as a case manager at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, before joining major law firms including Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP and Squire Patton Boggs.

She joined the United States DOJ in 2007 as a trial attorney and later became an Assistant US Attorney in 2010, as per her LinkedIn profile. In Norfolk, she specialized in federal law.

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Clash with Trump-appointed US Attorney

Elizabeth Yusi and Kristin Bird’s dismissal came amid tension within the Eastern District of Virginia, one of the country’s most influential US attorneys' offices. Newly appointed US Attorney Lindsey Halligan, a Trump loyalist, reportedly moved forward with an indictment against Letitia James despite opposition from career prosecutors, including Yusi, the NYT reported.

As per the report, a grand jury on October 9 charged James with two counts of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution, stating that she misrepresented the use of a Norfolk home as a secondary residence to secure better loan terms. However, James has denied wrongdoing, calling the prosecution “a political weaponization of the Justice Department.”

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Wider turmoil in the Eastern District

Since Halligan's appointment, the Eastern District of Virginia has seen a flurry of dismissals. Erik S. Siebert, who was Halligan's predecessor, resigned after being urged to avoid cases against James Comey, the former FBI director. Halligan then later obtained an indictment against Comey for lying to Congress and obstruction of proceedings. Other senior officials have also resigned or been dismissed under political pressure, including Maya Song, the former first assistant US attorney, and Michael Ben'Ary, who was a prosecutor in a national security unit, stated the NYT report.

The office of the Justice Department did not share a response to Yusi's termination.

FAQs

Q: Who is Elizabeth Yusi?

A: Elizabeth Yusi is a veteran federal prosecutor who spent 18 years with the Department of Justice, most recently serving as the top criminal prosecutor in Norfolk, Virginia.

Q: Why was Elizabeth Yusi fired?

A: She was dismissed after refusing to bring fraud charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, citing a lack of probable cause.

Q: Who replaced her?

A: Her deputy, Kristin Bird, was also fired, and replacements have not yet been announced.