Bill Pulte files new criminal referral against Trump foe Letitia James
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FHFA Director Bill Pulte has filed two criminal referrals to teh Department of Justice and to the U.S. Attorneys for the Northern District of Illinois and the Southern District of Florida, seeking to revive a federal examination into New York Attorney General Letitia James for alleged insurance fraud. The referrals come after a federal judge previously tossed similar mortgage-fraud charges against james last November. The new filings contend that James misrepresented how two properties in Illinois and florida would be used in home insurance filings with Worldwide Property Insurance and Allstate Insurance Company.
The referrals allege specific misrepresentations, including claims that a property would be occupied by a single adult when it was actually occupied by four people (three children and a niece), and that the property would be unoccupied for five months of the year. These developments followed Judge Cameron Currie’s decision to dismiss the prior charges as the DOJ prosecutor leading the case was installed illegally, prompting two separate grand juries to consider the matter but decline to indict James.
Critics have argued that the DOJ pursued the case for political reasons, given james and President trump’s long-running dispute. In the wake of the controversy, Bill Pulte has faced further scrutiny: SWALWELL sued him over privacy violations related to the referrals, and the Government Accountability Office opened an investigation into Pulte and the FHFA to determine whether federal authority and resources were misused. Senators, including Elizabeth Warren, questioned Pulte’s process in a letter signed by multiple lawmakers. Both the FHFA and the DOJ have not publicly commented.
Bill Pulte files new criminal referral against Trump foe Letitia James
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte on Wednesday sought to revive the Justice Department’s investigation into allegations that New York Attorney General Letitia James committed insurance fraud.
Pulte issued two criminal referrals to the Department of Justice, with the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, after a federal judge tossed similar charges brought against James last November. James misrepresented how two of her properties in Illinois and Florida would be used in home insurance filings with Universal Property Insurance and Allstate Insurance Company, the new filings read, according to MS Now.
“It appears Ms. James made representations that the house would be occupied by a single adult, with no children. Instead, according to the post, she knew the house was actually occupied by four people — three children and her niece,” Pulte wrote in the Illinois criminal referral.
“[It] appears Ms. James made false representations that her property would be unoccupied five months out of the year,” he added in the Florida referral.
The development comes after U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie tossed out mortgage fraud charges pressed against James in November. Currie did not rule on the merits of the allegations but rather tossed the case due to his determination that the DOJ prosecutor who led the case, Lindsey Halligan, was installed illegally, thus vacating indictments she had secured.
Two separate grand juries subsequently weighed the case, but declined to level indictments against James.
Critics have alleged the DOJ waged the case against James due to political animus, as she and President Donald Trump have long been at odds.
SWALWELL SUES BILL PULTE OVER PRIVACY VIOLATIONS IN DOJ MORTGAGE FRAUD REFERRAL
After furor from Democrats, the Government Accountability Office in December launched an investigation into Pulte and the FHFA to “determine whether the agency and its employees misused federal authority and resources.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) questioned Pulte’s process in referring James in a letter, signed by Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
The Washington Examiner reached out to the FHFA and DOJ for comment.
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