New York Attorney General Letitia James has made a name for herself prosecuting landlords and real estate fraudsters. Yet our investigation reveals troubling discrepancies in her own property filings—irregularities that would likely result in stiff penalties for most New Yorkers.

Documents from the NYC Department of Buildings show a pattern of inconsistencies about a Brooklyn property James owns—inconsistencies that mysteriously received special treatment when reported.

The Discrepancy: Official Records vs. James' Filings

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At the heart of the issue is a contradiction between what the city officially permits and what James' filings claim.

The Certificate of Occupancy for 296 Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn—issued January 26, 2001—clearly states the property is a five-family dwelling regulated under NYC housing laws. James purchased this property on February 14, 2001, just two weeks after this Certificate of Occupancy was issued. This official classification has been on the books for more than two decades.

Yet James repeatedly filed permit applications identifying the same property as a four-family dwelling—a classification subject to different regulatory requirements under New York City building codes. Under NYC building code classifications, her property with five units would be classified as C2 (which applies to buildings with 5+ units), while her filings list it as C3 (which applies to 3-4 unit buildings). This fundamental contradiction between the long-established Certificate of Occupancy and her permit applications raises serious questions about regulatory compliance.

Multiple Discrepant Filings Show Pattern, Not Mistake

This wasn't a one-time error. We uncovered multiple DOB permit applications containing identical discrepancies:

July 2020 Application (Job #340743146): Documents show "Dwelling Units: Existing: 4" despite the Certificate of Occupancy listing five units for the past 19 years.

September 2020 Application (Job #340768510): Another filing repeats the same inconsistent information.

The permit application details are explicit, stating: "Total Number of Dwelling Units at Location: 4" for a property documented in the Certificate of Occupancy as a five-unit building since 2001.