October 03, 2025

Wyden, Colleagues Request Records from Trump Administration Abusing Mortgage Fraud Investigations to Target Political Opponents

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, today said he is joining colleagues to request records from the Trump administration on exploiting mortgage fraud investigations to target perceived political opponents.

In a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Wyden and other ranking members of Senate committees wrote that perceived political opponents of Donald Trump – including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Senator Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook – have been threatened with unproven allegations of mortgage fraud to target, harass, and illegally oust them.

In the letter to agency Director William Pulte, the ranking members emphasized that “instead of prioritizing housing affordability, you have abused your power and authority as FHFA Director to engage in what can only be described as a politically motivated public campaign to attack President Trump’s perceived adversaries.”

The ranking members highlighted that Pulte has not launched similar investigations into Republican officials who have allegedly committed mortgage fraud. It is unclear whether Director Pulte has investigated Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Labor Secretary Lori-Chavez DeRemer, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, among other Republican officials – despite public reports revealing they may have all engaged in activities similar to those he has accused Democratic officials of committing.

In addition to Wyden, the letter was led by Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Richard Durbin, D-Ill., Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Ranking Member Gary Peters, D-Mich., HSGAC Subcommittee on Investigations Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Senate Environment and Public Works Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.

The senators concluded by requesting information, documents, and communications related to Pulte’s investigations into alleged mortgage fraud by October 10, 2025.

Text of the letter is here.