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9h ago

House Democrats Probe Pulte as DOJ Pursues Rare Mortgage-Residence Cases Against Trump Critics

Democrats say the rarely prosecuted charge is being used to target Trump critics.

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook attends the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's 2025 Jackson Hole economic symposium, "Labor Markets in Transition: Demographics, Productivity, and Macroeconomic Policy" in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, U.S., August 23, 2025. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart/File Photo
U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) speaks against one of U.S. President Donald Trump's judicial nominees during a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 30, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
Attorney General for the state of New York Letitia James looks on during a press conference in New York City, U.S., September 2, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo

Overview

  • The Justice Department opened investigations into Lisa Cook, Adam Schiff and Letitia James after FHFA referrals, issued grand jury subpoenas in Cook’s case, assigned Trump ally Ed Martin to run the probes, and Trump’s termination of Cook prompted her lawsuit.
  • A Reuters review found just 20 federal charges for primary-residence misstatements in eight years and only one standalone case, with experts noting prosecutors must prove a knowing falsehood to secure a conviction.
  • House Judiciary Democrat Jamie Raskin launched an inquiry into FHFA Director Bill Pulte, demanding records and questioning the agency’s use of mortgage data and a reported Palantir partnership to scrutinize Trump’s perceived opponents.
  • The Campaign for Accountability asked DOJ to investigate Republicans Sean Duffy, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Lee Zeldin and Ken Paxton after reports showed similar primary-residence entries on their mortgage records.
  • Reuters reported that Pulte’s father and stepmother claimed homestead exemptions in both Michigan and Florida, while Pulte rejects accusations of selective enforcement and FHFA says it is rooting out mortgage fraud wherever it finds it.