Rep. Eric Swalwell sues housing official who’s made multiple criminal referrals for Trump critics

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Trump housing official Bill Pulte, who referred him to the Justice Department earlier this month for an investigation of mortgage and tax fraud allegations. 

Swalwell, who entered the California governor’s race last week, filed the 19-page federal civil lawsuit in the U.S. Court for the District of Columbia accusing Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director, of violations of privacy in obtaining Swalwell’s mortgage records. The lawsuit also accuses the Trump administration of engaging in a pattern of political retribution through the courts. 

“Pulte’s brazen practice of obtaining confidential mortgage records from Fannie Mae and/or Freddie Mac and then using them as a basis for referring individual homeowners to DOJ for prosecution is unprecedented and unlawful,” the lawsuit alleged. 

Pulte has also submitted criminal referrals to the Justice Department for investigations of Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency did not respond to a request for comment. 

The allegations against Swalwell are related to the mortgage on his property in Washington, D.C., CBS News previously reported. 

Swalwell’s lawsuit says that the disclosure of his mortgage records harmed his reputation “at a critical juncture in his career: the very moment when he had planned to announce his campaign for Governor of California.” 

The civil complaint said that “before President Trump reassumed office in January 2025, he routinely threatened to use his power to punish his political opponents,” and then continued that “after taking office, he wasted little time in following through on those threats.”   

James’ criminal case was dismissed Monday after a judge found that the interim U.S. attorney who secured her indictment was improperly appointed. James has also sought to have her case tossed out on other grounds, including that the prosecutions are vindictive and selective.

Mr. Trump moved to fire Cook in August after Pulte accused her of making misrepresentations on mortgage documents. But Cook filed a lawsuit arguing her removal was unlawful, and the Supreme Court will hear arguments in January on whether Mr. Trump can fire her from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

Pulte referred Schiff to the Justice Department in May for investigation over alleged mortgage fraud. Sources told CBS News last week that the Justice Department is investigating the probe into Schiff, who has denied any wrongdoing.