Eric Swalwell Initiates Legal Action Against Housing Official Over Referrals Targeting Trump Opponents

California Representative Eric Swalwell has filed a legal complaint against Bill Pulte, a housing official under Trump, who recently pushed for a Justice Department probe into Swalwell over alleged mortgage and tax violations.

Swalwell, now a contender in the California gubernatorial race, presented a federal lawsuit comprising 19 pages in the U.S. District Court for D.C. The lawsuit accuses Bill Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, of unlawfully accessing Swalwell's mortgage data. It further contends that the Trump administration had been using the judiciary as a tool of political vengeance.

"Pulte's audacious method of seizing private mortgage details from Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and leveraging them to prompt DOJ prosecutions represents an unlawful and novel action," as per the lawsuit's claims.

Further referrals to the Justice Department have been associated with Democratic figures such as Senator Adam Schiff, New York's Attorney General Letitia James, and Lisa Cook who serves on the Federal Reserve Board.

Requests for comments from the Federal Housing Finance Agency have gone unanswered.

Allegations concerning Swalwell pertain to the home financing on his domicile in Washington, D.C.

The lawsuit claims that releasing his mortgage information damaged Swalwell's public image precisely when he intended to declare his bid for California governor.

The legal document mentions, "Prior to reclaiming the presidency in January 2025, Trump made verbal threats to use his authoritative powers to target political adversaries," and follows up by stating, "Upon resuming office, these threats were quickly acted upon."

James’s legal battle saw a turn when her criminal charges were dismissed Monday, because the interim U.S. attorney who pursued her indictment was not properly appointed. She is also pushing for her case’s dismissal on the basis of biased and arbitrary motivations.

In August, Trump accused Cook of submitting incorrect mortgage documents, leading to her removal. However, Cook contends this act was unjust, and the Supreme Court reviewed the case in January to determine Trump's authority to dismiss her from the Federal Reserve Board.

Pulte's referral against Schiff to the Justice Department came in May, pursuing an inquiry over purported mortgage fraud, although Schiff maintains innocence. According to sources, the investigation into Schiff is ongoing.