A Trump administration official referred California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell to the Justice Department over mortgage fraud allegations, a source familiar told CNN.
The accusation was made by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who has made similar allegations against high-ranking democratic officials including New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Senator Adam Schiff.
The Justice Department has not said whether it received the referral, and there was some internal confusion Thursday as to whether it had arrived. One person familiar with the matter said Pulte delivered it orally to Justice Department official Ed Martin and put a written copy in the mail, which Martin has yet to receive.
“It’s all nonsense,” Swalwell said on CNN’s Laura Coates Live Thursday night. “It’s not going to shake me. The other individuals, Schiff, James, (Lisa) Cook and myself, we’re not going to hide under the bed, we’re not going to be silent or go away — we’re going to hold a lawless president accountable.”
Pulte’s previous referrals have resulted in action. James was indicted last month on fraud charges, and Schiff is under federal investigation. Pulte was spotted at the White House on Thursday evening.
“As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade and as the only person who still has a surviving lawsuit against him, the only thing I am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me,” Swalwell said in a statement earlier Thursday.
The congressman has long been a critic of Trump, including by acting as an impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment proceedings.
Swalwell sued Trump and others in 2021, claiming that the president’s speech at the White House Ellipse just before the January 6th riot pushed his supporters towards violence. The case is still proceeding in federal court.
“Of course, I will not end my lawsuit against him,” Swalwell’s statement says, “and I will not stop speaking out against the president and speaking up for Californians.”
This story has been updated with additional details.
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