Swalwell Sues Trump Housing Chief, Accuses Him of Weaponizing Govt Records
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) has filed a federal civil lawsuit against Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte, accusing the Trump-appointed official of illegally combing through private mortgage records to target political opponents. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges violations of the Privacy Act and the First Amendment.
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According to the suit, Pulte accessed confidential databases at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to retrieve Swalwell’s personal mortgage information, later forwarding a criminal referral to the Justice Department. Swalwell argues the move was retaliatory and politically motivated, part of what he calls a broader pattern of Pulte initiating investigations against critics of President Donald Trump.
The lawsuit also claims Pulte has made similar referrals involving other Democratic officials, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, and former Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. None of those referrals have resulted in charges.
In a public statement, Swalwell said Pulte “combed through private records of political opponents to silence them,” framing the issue as a direct assault on constitutional protections. He is asking the court to order FHFA to withdraw the referral and to award damages.
FHFA and Pulte have not publicly responded to the lawsuit. The Justice Department has also not commented on the status of the referral.
The case marks one of the most direct legal challenges yet to allegations that Trump-aligned officials are using federal agencies to pursue political adversaries. The lawsuit is in its early stages.