Congressman Eric Swalwell Sues Housing Official Over Political Retaliation
Congressman Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California, has filed a lawsuit against Bill Pulte, a Trump administration housing official, alleging privacy violations and political retribution. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court for the District of Columbia, stems from Pulte's referral of Swalwell to the Justice Department for an investigation into mortgage and tax fraud allegations.
Swalwell's 19-page complaint highlights Pulte's unprecedented and unlawful practice of obtaining confidential mortgage records from Fannie Mae and/or Freddie Mac and using them to refer homeowners for prosecution. The lawsuit also accuses the Trump administration of engaging in a pattern of political retribution through the courts.
This isn't the first time Pulte has made criminal referrals. He has also referred Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook for investigations. The Federal Housing Finance Agency has not responded to requests for comment.
The allegations against Swalwell are related to his Washington, D.C., property's mortgage. The lawsuit claims that the disclosure of his mortgage records harmed his reputation at a critical moment in his career, just as he was planning to announce his campaign for Governor of California.
Swalwell's lawsuit also mentions President Trump's history of threatening to use his power to punish political opponents and his swift action to follow through on those threats after taking office. The case against James was dismissed due to improper appointment, and the case against Cook is pending a Supreme Court decision on whether Mr. Trump can fire her from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
The Justice Department is investigating the probe into Schiff, who has denied any wrongdoing. The lawsuit against Swalwell raises questions about the boundaries of political retribution and the potential abuse of power by government officials.
