"The question arises as the Trump administration threatens charges against three prominent Democrats who have angered the president: U.S. Senator Adam Schiff of California, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. All stand accused of submitting an application for a home loan stating that the property would be their primary residence, then treating another property as their primary residence."
"Pulte denies that he is fishing for wrongdoers. "If you commit mortgage fraud in America," he wrote on X on Monday, "we will come after you, no matter who you are." But so long as his actions and statements are focused on prominent enemies of Trump, no fair observer can trust his word. If the administration prosecutes these cases, it will cause many Americans to deem its actions illegitimate. And Democrats, whenever they return to power, could succumb to the temptation to prosecute Republicans for mortgage fraud, continuing a dysfunctional cycle of revenge."
"No one should want federal bureaucrats poring over loan documents and consistently prosecuting all falsehoods."
The administration is threatening charges against three prominent Democrats—U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook—accused of filing home‑loan applications that misrepresented which property would be their primary residence. Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee and housing regulator, referred the cases to the Department of Justice. The alleged offense is a felony that can carry multiple years in prison. Schiff and James deny wrongdoing; Cook is suing to block an attempted removal, which her lawyer called "lacks any factual or legal basis." Pulte warned on X that mortgage fraud will be pursued regardless of who commits it. Targeting prominent opponents risks public delegitimization of enforcement and could trigger reciprocal prosecutions by future administrations, fostering a cycle of partisan revenge while raising concerns about overbroad bureaucratic scrutiny of loan documentation.
Read at The Atlantic
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