TPM:

The Trump administration is corruptly targeting Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) with criminal investigation using the same tactic it has used against New York Attorney General Letitia James: allegations of mortgage fraud.

Fannie Mae has reportedly made a criminal referral against Schiff to the Trump Justice Department. President Trump happily touted the news about his former impeacher on social media.

Trump’s not targeting just any Democrats. He’s targeting precisely who he has promised to target: Democrats who came after him. James, among other things, won that massive $300+ million fraud case against the Trump Org. Schiff, then in the House, was the lead prosecutor in the first Trump impeachment and has continued to be a chief Trump antagonist.

The WaPo obtained from an anonymous administration official a confidential Fannie Mae memo address to Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte: “The memo said that on May 12, Fannie’s financial crimes investigations unit received a document demand from FHFA’s inspector general concerning Schiff’s home, including requests for loan files and other documents.”

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo/trump-corruptly-targets-schiff-with-criminal-investigation

___Designating a home as a primary residence, instead of a secondary home or investment property, can get borrowers lower rates because primary homes are seen as less risky to lenders. But a spokesperson for Schiff’s office said the lenders for Schiff’s homes in both California and Washington were “well aware” of his intended year-round use of both homes while in public office and that neither of the properties was a vacation home.

Public documents related to Schiff’s mortgage and property in Montgomery County, Maryland, show that in October 2020, Schiff signed a document calling the property a second home. In some earlier documents, it had been designated as a primary residence.

Still, experts said the records couldn’t tell a full story on their own, specifically citing a lack of any detail on what agreements Schiff may have had with his lender. There are also different definitions of primary residences — by the county and by the lender — that can leave room for confusion and make it hard to know whether any rules were violated.

The focus on Schiff’s mortgage records appeared to echo similar scrutiny of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who along with other Democratic state attorneys general has filed multiple lawsuits against both Trump administrations...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/07/15/schiff-trump-mortgage-fraud/

___A watchdog group filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (in 2022) accusing "mystery donors"--one of which may be millionaire businessman Bill Pulte--of using a Delaware limited liability company to funnel $500,000 into former President Donald Trump's super PAC, a violation of campaign finance laws prohibiting so-called straw donors.

The Campaign Legal Center's (CLC) complaint specifically alleges that "Pulte and/or unknown other persons" used ML Organization, LLC as a shell company to pour money into the Make America Great Again, Again! super PAC without having to disclose their identities.

"There is no record of ML Organization having any activities or generating any income since it was registered as a Delaware domestic limited liability company... in April 2018," the complaint states. "ML Organization has no website, social media account, business listings or online records, or any other discernible online presence."

CLC goes on to note that ML Organization "disclosed an address in Boca Raton, Florida (located within Palm Beach County), in connection with the $500,000 contribution made in its name, but searches of public records databases indicate that the LLC does not appear to own any property in Palm Beach County, Florida, or elsewhere."

Citing public records, CLC points out that Pulte "owns the property at the address listed for ML Organization on FEC reports" and that the property "appears to be Pulte's home."

"The available information supports the conclusion that ML Organization did not have the means to contribute $500,000 to an [independent-expenditure only political committee] absent an infusion of funds provided to it for that specific purpose," the complaint reads. "Accordingly, there is reason to believe that one or more unknown person(s) (William Pulte and/or other persons) violated the prohibition on making contributions in the name of another."

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/05/02/group-files-fec-complaint-over-trump-super-pacs-500000-gift-mystery-donors