WASHINGTON (AP) — The coalition of New York NAACP chapters had just begun its annual state convention when Letitia James, a longtime member and the state’s attorney general, canceled her appearance. James had just been indicted by the Justice Department for alleged mortgage fraud , a charge which she called “baseless” and “a grave violation of our constitutional order.” For the New York convention’s organizers, the moment was alarming and underscored the gathering’s importance, which featured