Swalwell sues Bill Pulte for allegedly illegally accessing mortgage records

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., accused a prime housing official of secretly acquiring Democrats’ non-public mortgage information and weaponizing them to spark federal legal investigations, in line with a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Within the lawsuit, filed in federal courtroom in Washington, DC, Swalwell alleged that Invoice Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Company, abused his place to acquire the mortgage information of quite a few Democrats, which he utilized in legal referrals to the Division of Justice (DOJ).

The civil swimsuit argued that the Federal Housing Finance Company (FHFA) didn’t have the authority to acquire, use or leak non-public data of a number of distinguished Democrats, who’re broadly seen as staunch critics of President Donald Trump.

“As we speak I filed a civil lawsuit in opposition to FHA Director Invoice Pulte for violating the Privateness Act and the First Modification,” Swalwell mentioned in an announcement. “Director Pulte has searched non-public data of political opponents. To silence them.’

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Consultant Eric Swalwell has filed a lawsuit in opposition to Invoice Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Company, accusing him of illegally accessing non-public mortgage knowledge to set off a DOJ investigation. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photographs)

In line with the lawsuit, Pulte “abused his place” by looking out government-sponsored databases for the non-public data of plenty of Democrats, together with Swalwell, which he then used “to manufacture fanciful mortgage fraud allegations” that he referred to the DOJ for prosecution, the lawsuit mentioned.

The DOJ opened an investigation into Swalwell on November 13 for alleged mortgage fraud.

The lawsuit said that in his referral to the DOJ, Pulte alleged that Swalwell falsely claimed his D.C. house as his main residence below a mortgage settlement to safe extra favorable mortgage phrases.

Rep. Eric Swalwell is suing a Trump official after a legal referral to the Justice Division. (Win McNamee/Getty Photographs)

However the California Democrat’s lawsuit described the allegations within the referral as a “gross mischaracterization of actuality” that amounted to “a gross abuse of energy that violated the legislation.”

“The allegations in Pulte’s referral are obviously false,” the criticism argued.

The DOJ investigation got here as Swalwell units his sights on increased workplace, saying final week that he’s launching a marketing campaign for California governor in 2026. The lawsuit alleges that the discharge of his private data has broken his repute forward of his gubernatorial marketing campaign and compelled him to “expend private assets” as he fights the DOJ investigation.

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Swalwell added in his criticism that the “widespread publication of data concerning the house the place his spouse and younger kids dwell has uncovered him to elevated safety dangers and brought on him important worry and nervousness.”

Swalwell claims in his lawsuit that his political beliefs have “earned him the ire of President Trump.” The lawsuit factors to extra referrals FHFA has made to the DOJ involving political figures seen as critics of Trump, together with New York Legal professional Normal Letitia James., Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Lisa Prepare dinner, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, argue there’s a sample of political retaliation.

A federal decide dismissed prices in opposition to Letitia James on Monday.

Swalwell argued that Pulte’s “illegal actions” had been intentional and represented “a deliberate assault on elementary democratic norms and replicate a fundamental need to attain exactly what the First Modification and the Privateness Act search to forestall: the usage of authorities mechanisms to chill and silence the federal government’s critics.”

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Rep. Eric Swalwell is accusing a prime housing trade official of searching for Democrats’ non-public mortgage information and weaponizing them to spark federal legal investigations, in line with a lawsuit filed Nov. 25. (Getty Photographs)

Swalwell is searching for damages, a declaration that FHFA violated federal legislation and an injunction compelling the company to withdraw the referral.

Pulte and the Federal Housing Finance Company didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.