Bill Pulte, the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), announced on Thursday that he had filed a second criminal referral with the Department of Justice against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. This move comes amid ongoing tensions between President Donald Trump and Cook, who is currently facing efforts by the president to remove her from the Federal Reserve.
Pulte’s new referral centers around a property Cook owns in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and alleged inconsistencies in her government ethics filings regarding various real estate holdings. Pulte claims that Cook misrepresented her mortgage for a condominium in Cambridge and inaccurately listed her properties on disclosure forms from 2022 through 2025.
The referral follows Pulte’s earlier accusations regarding Cook’s mortgage applications, including alleged false claims about two properties she owned in Michigan and Georgia. Pulte has been a vocal critic of Cook and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, particularly in relation to Trump’s demand for lower interest rates, which the central bank has not yet delivered.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pulte shared images of his letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and other DOJ officials, outlining the allegations against Cook. He referred to the situation as “3 strikes and you’re out,” implying that Cook’s actions should result in significant consequences.
Earlier in the day, Cook filed a lawsuit against Trump in Washington, D.C., asking a federal judge to block his attempt to remove her from the Federal Reserve. Trump had previously cited Pulte’s first criminal referral in a letter notifying Cook of his decision to fire her, though legal experts have debated whether Trump has the authority to do so.
In his latest referral, Pulte raised concerns about Cook’s representations regarding her properties. He specifically pointed to her 2021 mortgage for a condominium in Cambridge, which she initially claimed as a “second home” but later listed as an “investment/rental property” in government filings. Pulte suggested that such misrepresentation might have allowed Cook to secure more favorable mortgage terms, typically offered for second homes, which carry lower down payments and interest rates compared to investment properties.
Pulte also noted that Cook had misrepresented properties in Atlanta and Ann Arbor, Michigan, in her official disclosures, allegedly listing them as personal residences despite evidence that they were being rented out. These alleged discrepancies form the basis of Pulte’s second referral, which has now been forwarded to the Department of Justice for review.
Image Source: Google | Image Credit: Respective Owner
