OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
10:48 AM – Wednesday, November 26, 2025
California Democrat Representative Eric Swalwell filed a federal civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against William (Bill) Pulte, the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) in the Trump administration.
The suit alleges that Pulte violated the Privacy Act of 1974 and Swalwell’s First Amendment rights by improperly accessing and misusing private mortgage records from government-backed entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to “fabricate claims” of mortgage fraud against him and other prominent Democrats — such as New York Attorney General Letitia James and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
This access reportedly led to a criminal referral by Pulte to the Department of Justice on November 13th, initiating a federal probe into Swalwell for allegedly misrepresenting his Washington, D.C., residence on a mortgage application.
Swalwell denies the fraud allegations, further claiming they stem from political retaliation for his criticism of President Trump, including his role as a House impeachment manager in 2021. The congressman’s lawsuit essentially argues that the FHFA did not have the authority to obtain or disclose the data.
“He used those records to concoct fanciful allegations of mortgage fraud, which he referred to the Department of Justice for prosecution. The target of his most recent criminal referral is Plaintiff Eric Swalwell—one of the President’s most vocal and visible critics in Congress,” the suit claims.
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Swalwell is the fourth Democrat to face mortgage fraud allegations in recent months, joining Schiff, James and Biden-appointed Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook.
The criminal referral against Swalwell indicates that his $1.2 million house in Washington, D.C., was improperly labeled as a primary residence, despite living in California. This would have qualified him for millions of dollars’ worth of refinancing and loans, according to the New York Post.
He has since argued that his property in California is indeed his primary residence, while the one in D.C. belongs “primarily” to his wife.
“Pulte’s referral to the Justice Department was not only a gross mischaracterization of reality. It also represented a gross abuse of power that violated the law,” the suit argues.
“Today I have filed a civil lawsuit against FHA Director Bill Pulte for violating the Privacy Act and First Amendment,” Swalwell said in a statement. “Director Pulte has combed through private records of political opponents. To silence them.”
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not required to have public records due to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) since they are not federal agencies. However, the FHFA, which is their regulator, does make data publicly available and has some requirements to do so for public transparency.
Swalwell also recently announced his bid for California governor on an episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!.”
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