Eric Swalwell sues Trump official over mortgage fraud accusations

Rep. Eric Swalwell is suing Bill Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, accusing him of abusing his position to “concoct fanciful allegations of mortgage fraud” against Swalwell, a prominent critic of President Donald Trump

Rep. Eric Swalwell is suing Bill Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, accusing him of abusing his position to “concoct fanciful allegations of mortgage fraud” against Swalwell, a prominent critic of President Donald Trump.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, says it is “patently false” that Swalwell, D-Calif., claimed a Washington, D.C., home as his primary residence and that Swalwell “explicitly disclaimed any intent to occupy the District of Columbia home as his primary residence in a sworn affidavit attached to his mortgage agreement.” The affidavit “made clear that the home would be his wife’s primary residence—not his own,” and Swalwell “was and remains a permanent resident of California,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit accuses Pulte of targeting Swalwell over his constitutionally protected political speech, breaching “the First Amendment’s bedrock prohibition on viewpoint-based retaliation.” It also says Pulte’s referral violates the Privacy Act of 1974, which was enacted “in the wake of President Nixon’s campaign against his political enemies.”

The suit notes that Pulte has made referrals against Trump’s political foes, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook, and it says there are no known referrals against anyone who supports Trump.

The case against James was tossed Monday after a federal judge found that Lindsey Halligan, who brought the indictment against James and has been serving as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was not lawfully appointed to her position.