Bill Pulte, Trump Appointee and FHFA Director, Faces Scrutiny for Targeting Political Foes. Pulte, nominated to strengthen the housing finance system, has instead used his position to pursue accusations of mortgage fraud against President Trump's political opponents, including Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook. His actions raise concerns about politicization of the FHFA and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac oversight
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee, faces scrutiny for allegedly using his position to target the President's political opponents. Accusations of mortgage fraud, fueled by Pulte's investigations using property records, have led to attempts to remove Federal Reserve board members, raising concerns about political influence on independent institutions like the central bank. Pulte's actions highlight a potential abuse of power, leveraging an obscure regulatory role to become a presidential enforcer
Trump attempts to fire Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook, leveraging allegations publicized by FHFA Director Bill Pulte. This move, fueled by Pulte's politically-motivated accusations, represents a bid to exert greater presidential control over the traditionally independent central bank. Cook plans to challenge her dismissal, setting the stage for a significant legal battle impacting the U.S. economy
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte accuses Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook of mortgage fraud, alleging she falsely claimed two primary residences to obtain lower interest rates. Cook denies the allegations and vows to fight her potential removal in a legal battle that could significantly impact the Federal Reserve's independence and the future of the American housing market
President Trump calls for the removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, citing alleged mortgage infractions. He claims Cook violated regulations and has identified potential replacements. This action follows accusations publicized by FHFA Director Bill Pulte, escalating the ongoing power struggle over the Federal Reserve's independence
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte enthusiastically supports President Trump, employing a distinctly Trumpian style to advance the president's agenda. His actions, including using property records to allege mortgage fraud against political opponents, raise concerns about the politicization of his office and its impact on the housing market
President Trump's zero-tolerance policy on housing market fraud is in full effect, as declared on social media. This commitment to integrity in the housing finance system follows recent allegations and underscores the administration's dedication to protecting homeowners and the market
Bill Pulte, 37-year-old director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and housing industry heir, oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Appointed during the Trump administration, Pulte has controversially used his position to target political opponents, leveraging property records to allege mortgage fraud and instigate investigations, raising concerns about the politicization of housing finance regulation. His actions have drawn criticism for potentially undermining the independence of institutions like the Federal Reserve
Appointed by President Trump, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte frequently and publicly praises the president, mirroring typical behavior of political appointees. This aligns with his actions targeting political opponents, leveraging his position to pursue investigations and accusations
FHFA Director Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee, publicly declared President Trump "the greatest," further highlighting his partisan actions targeting the President's political opponents. This aligns with his controversial use of his position to pursue accusations of mortgage fraud, notably against Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte alleges mortgage fraud against Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both Trump critics, escalating a controversial pattern of targeting the President's political opponents. These accusations, pursued by Justice Department official Ed Martin, utilize property records to initiate criminal investigations, raising concerns about the politicization of housing regulations
FHFA Director Bill Pulte condemns alleged mortgage fraud, arguing against subsidizing fraudulent behavior with favorable interest rates. His social media posts highlight the need for integrity in the housing market and underscore his commitment to safeguarding the housing finance system. This stance reflects his broader mission to strengthen Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and combat financial wrongdoing
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte faces criticism for selectively targeting political opponents, including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, with accusations of mortgage fraud, while ignoring similar alleged instances involving Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Trump ally. Pulte's actions raise concerns about potential misuse of his position for partisan political purposes
Despite claiming to prioritize housing finance system integrity, the FHFA Director, Bill Pulte, faces scrutiny for allegedly violating mortgage terms. Records show he rents two properties with explicit prohibitions against renting, as evidenced by real estate and short-term rental listings
Asked about Pulte’s investigations and Trump’s role in them, the White House said that anyone who violates the law should be held accountable.
“President Trump’s only retribution is success and historic achievements for the American people,” said Davis Ingle, White House spokesman.
FHFA Director Bill Pulte's use of mortgage records to investigate alleged fraud raises questions. While mortgage documents are public records, their decentralized nature hinders comprehensive review. However, government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, overseen by Pulte's FHFA, may hold centralized data, prompting concerns about potential resource misuse in targeting political opponents. This raises concerns about transparency and the potential for politicization within the housing finance system
FHFA did not respond to a detailed list of questions from the AP, including whether Pulte or his aides used government resources to conduct his research.
Pulte’s broadsides go beyond mortgages. He’s been backing Trump’s criticism of Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, over expensive renovations at the central bank’s headquarters. Trump is pressuring Powell to cut interest rates in hopes of lowering borrowing costs, and his allies have highlighted cost overruns to suggest that Powell is untrustworthy or should be removed from his position.
“This guy is supposed to be the money manager for the world’s biggest economy, and it doesn’t even look like he can run a construction site,” Pulte said while wearing a neon safety vest outside the building. “So something doesn’t smell right here.”
Trump's post-White House agenda has involved extensive government overhauls. This includes reshaping the federal workforce via the Office of Personnel Management, implementing ideological shifts within the Smithsonian, and dismissing the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner following a disagreement over job reports
With Pulte in charge, the Federal Housing Finance Agency is becoming another instrument of Trump’s mission to exert control and retaliate against enemies.
It’s a contrast to the Internal Revenue Service, where Trump has unsuccessfully discussed ways to use tax policies as a pressure point. For example, during battles over higher education, Trump threatened to take away Harvard’s long-standing tax-exempt status by saying, “It’s what they deserve.”
However, there are more restrictions there, dating back to the Watergate scandal under President Richard Nixon.
“It’s been hard for the administration to use the inroads it wants to use to pursue its enemies,” said Vanessa Williamson, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.
She said, “The law is very clear about taxpayer privacy and the criminal penalties at play are not small.”
Pulte is heir to a home-building fortune amassed by his grandfather, also named William Pulte, who founded a construction company in Detroit in the 1950s that grew into the publicly traded national housing giant now known as the Pulte Group.
He spent four years on the company’s board, and he’s the owner of heating and air conditioning businesses across the U.S. He had never served in government before being nominated by Trump to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
“While many children spent their weekends at sporting events, I spent mine on homebuilding jobsites with my father and grandfather,” Pulte said in written testimony for his nomination hearing. “From the ground up, I learned every aspect of housing — whether it was cleaning job sites, assisting in construction, or helping sell homes.”
He once tried to make a name for himself with good deeds, describing himself as the “Inventor of Twitter Philanthropy” and offering money to needy people online. He was working in private equity at the time, and he told the Detroit Free Press that he funded his donations with some “very good liquidity events” to power his donations.
Even six years ago, he appeared focused on getting attention from Trump.
“If @realDonaldTrump retweets this, my team and I will give Two Beautiful Cars to Two Beautiful Veterans on Twitter.”
Trump replied, “Thank you, Bill, say hello to our GREAT VETERANS!”
Pulte, whose most recent financial disclosure shows a net worth of at least $180 million, was also ramping up his political donations.
Over the past six years, he and his wife have donated over $1 million to the political efforts of Trump and his allies, including a $500,000 contribution to a super PAC affiliated with Trump that was the subject of a campaign finance complaint made with the Federal Election Commission.
The Pultes’ $500,000 contribution was made through a company they control named ML Organization LLC, records show. While such contributions are typically allowed from corporations, the same is not always true for some limited liability companies that have a limited business footprint and could be set up to obscure the donor.
The FEC ultimately exonerated the Pultes, but found in April that the Trump super PAC, Make America Great Again, Again! Inc., did not properly disclose that the Pultes were the source of the donation, said Saurav Ghosh, the Campaign Legal Center’s director of federal campaign finance reform.
Ghosh said the donation raises serious questions about Pulte’s appointment to lead FHFA.
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“Why is Bill Pulte even in a government position?” he said. “Maybe he’s qualified, maybe he isn’t. But he did pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into a pro-Trump super PAC. And I think it’s clear there are these types of rewards for big donors across the Trump administration.”
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