A federal grand jury in Maryland is investigating whether Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte and Justice Department official Ed Martin improperly appointed unauthorized people to help in mortgage fraud investigations of President Donald Trump’s critics.
The probe, according to two people familiar and documents reviewed by MS NOW, is focused on whether the mortgage fraud investigations of Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and possibly of New York Attorney General Letitia James have been tainted by the investigative methods allegedly used by Pulte and Martin.
FBI agents have asked witnesses to turn over records and have interviewed them about people who may have presented themselves as federal investigators working on behalf of Pulte or Martin, according to the sources and documents reviewed by MS NOW.
It’s a major turnabout for the Department of Justice to be investigating two of Trump’s staunchest allies, who together have pressured career prosecutors to bring mortgage fraud charges against Schiff, James and others when those prosecutors have broadly concluded the facts do not support seeking indictments of those individuals. According to two sources, the office of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who reportedly has grown concerned about unforced errors in Justice Department investigations, is overseeing this new Maryland probe.
Christine Bish, a California Republican who has been pressing the DOJ to investigate what she believes is mortgage fraud by Schiff, appeared outside the federal courthouse today in Greenbelt, Maryland, and showed reporters a subpoena that appeared to reflect the investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter. When reached by MS NOW, the Justice Department had no comment. MS NOW has also reached out to Pulte for comment. This is an updating story.
Carol Leonnig is a senior investigative reporter with MS NOW.
Ken Dilanian is the justice and intelligence correspondent for MS NOW. Recommended
