Trump official refers Rep. Eric Swalwell for federal criminal probe
A top Trump administration official has referred Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., to the Justice Department for a federal criminal investigation. He’s accused of committing mortgage and tax fraud in relation to his Washington, D.C. home.
Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, made the referral in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday.
According to NBC News, Pulte claims Swalwell may have made false or misleading statements in loan documents. He says Swalwell declared his D.C. residence as a primary home while allegedly securing multiple loans and refinancing deals worth several million dollars.
The referral calls for an investigation into possible mortgage fraud, state and local tax fraud, insurance fraud and any other related offenses.
Swalwell denies allegations
Following the referral, Swalwell swiftly denied the accusations, calling them politically motivated. In a post on X, he said, “As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade and as the only person who still has a surviving lawsuit against him, the only thing that I am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me.”
Swalwell told NBC, “This is, again, just Donald Trump doing everything he can to target his enemies.”
A long-running feud
Swalwell has been a longtime critic of Trump. He was one of the first Democrats to call for an investigation into allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
He played a role in both of Trump’s impeachment proceedings and even said he expected the Trump administration to prosecute him.
In 2021, he filed a civil suit against Trump and several of his allies, accusing them of inciting the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol. In his statement on Wednesday, Swalwell said he would not be intimidated into dropping the suit.
“Of course, I will not end my lawsuit against him. And I will not stop speaking out against the President and speaking up for Californians,” Swalwell said.
Trump has long targeted Swalwell in return. He accused him of ties to a suspected Chinese spy, claims that a 2023 investigation found no evidence to support.
Similar allegations against other Democrats
Swalwell is the fourth Democratic official in recent months to face allegations of mortgage fraud, following Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
All three have denied wrongdoing.
NBC reports the criminal probe against Schiff has stalled due to a lack of evidence. Meanwhile, the probe into Cook remains ongoing.
James, however, was indicted last month on one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution. She pleaded not guilty and is fighting the indictment in court.
In his response, Swalwell mentioned those officials by name. He said, “Like James Comey and John Bolton, Adam Schiff and Lisa Cook, Letitia James and the dozens more to come — I refuse to live in fear in what was once the freest country in the world.”
Will Swalwell run for governor?
The new allegations also come amid speculation that Swalwell may run for governor. A source familiar with Swalwell’s plans told Punchbowl News that the California representative is considering running.
A recent survey included Swalwell in the race for governor, placing him in fourth place among 1,000 voters.
Republican Steve Hilton, a British-American Fox News contributor, took first place with 20%. He was followed by former Rep. Katie Porte, D-Calif., with 16%. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican, is listed third with 14%. Finally, it listed Swalwell in fourth with 11% of the vote.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
