Swalwell Sues Trump-Era Official, Alleging Politically Motivated Mortgage Probes
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) has filed a lawsuit alleging that former Trump management official William Pulte orchestrated a politically motivated campaign to investigate the mortgages of Swalwell and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), hindering SwalwellS potential run for California Governor and exposing his family to security risks.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, claims Pulte directed a “coordinated effort” to spread allegations against Swalwell through a network of conservative influencers. swalwell’s attorneys assert he never claimed primary residence in both California and Washington, D.C., and did not break any laws. They allege the campaign harmed Swalwell’s reputation “at a critical juncture in his career: the very moment when he had planned to announce his campaign for Governor of California.” The suit also states the public release of facts about Swalwell’s family home “exposed him to heightened security risks and caused him significant anguish and distress.”
the investigation began in 2020, with conservative activist robin Bish meticulously examining Swalwell and Schiff’s mortgage records. Bish repeatedly submitted documents to federal authorities, including the Office of Congressional Ethics, an FHFA tip line, and the FBI. She told The Los Angeles Times that she believed a mortgage document posted by former President Trump on his Truth Social platform was one she had submitted, due to identical highlighting.
Following Trump’s post,Bish was contacted by Pulte’s staff requesting “the full file” of her research on Schiff. She was afterward interviewed by the FHFA inspector general’s office and the FBI on October 22. A subpoena followed, requiring her to appear in Maryland, where she was interviewed again on november 7 by the same inspector general official and another FBI agent. Bish stated the questioning focused heavily on her communications with federal officials, specifically, “who did I communicate with?”
schiff maintains he never broke any law and was always forthcoming with his mortgage lenders. His attorney previously urged the Justice Department to investigate Pulte’s targeting of Trump’s opponents, describing it as a “highly irregular” and “sordid” effort, with “ample basis” for an investigation.
The timing of events has also raised concerns. Joe Allen, the acting FHFA inspector general when Bish was first contacted, was later fired.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach), the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Goverment Reform Committee, wrote a letter to Pulte on November 19, denouncing the probes as politically motivated. Garcia questioned Allen’s dismissal and demanded documentation from Pulte, including communications with the White House.
Swalwell stated that Pulte “combed through private records of political opponents” to “silence them,” adding, “There’s a reason the First amendment – the freedom of speech – comes before all others.”
