The Federal Housing Finance Agency has filed a second criminal referral to the Department of Justice against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa D. Cook, alleging she made false statements about her real estate holdings in Massachusetts, Georgia, and Michigan.
FHFA Director William J. Pulte said Cook may have engaged in bank fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and other violations by misrepresenting whether her properties were personal residences, second homes, or investment properties. The agency said Cook claimed a Cambridge, Massachusetts condominium was a second home but later reported rental income from it, listed an Atlanta property as her residence while trying to rent it, and obtained a mortgage in Michigan that required the property to be her primary residence despite using it as a rental.
The letter argued these misrepresentations may have secured her favorable mortgage rates and concealed the true use of her properties. FHFA said the pattern raises concerns about her fitness for public office and requested DOJ prosecutors determine whether Cook broke the law under several federal statutes.
In a separate but related development, President Trump on Friday morning asked a judge to reject Cook’s request for an order preventing him from firing her, as her lawsuit challenging her removal moves through the courts.
In its own filing, the Federal Reserve said it would not weigh in on the merits of Cook’s request for a temporary block on her termination, but it asked Judge Jia Cobb for a “prompt ruling” to resolve the dispute. The filings came roughly two hours before a hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Director of Federal Housing William Pulte on X
