Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Sep 9: Allies of former US President Donald Trump have pressed federal authorities to pursue criminal charges against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Senator Adam Schiff, accusing them of misstating primary residences on mortgage applications — a crime almost never prosecuted in isolation.

According to a Reuters review of more than 600 mortgage-related fraud cases since 2017, the Justice Department has filed such charges only 20 times in eight years, and just once as a standalone case. Most others were linked to larger criminal schemes such as drug cultivation or bank fraud.

The probes were triggered by referrals from Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) director William Pulte, a Trump ally. Investigations are being run by Justice Department official Ed Martin, who recently posted a photo outside James’ Brooklyn home. Trump’s critics say the probes mark an attempt to weaponize prosecutorial powers against political opponents.

Cook, James, and Schiff — all Democrats and longtime Trump adversaries — have denied wrongdoing. James’ lawyer said a mortgage entry was a clerical mistake later corrected, while Schiff’s lawyer dismissed the allegations as “false and long debunked.” Cook, terminated by Trump last month, has sued to challenge her dismissal.

Legal experts stress that proving mortgage fraud requires showing intentional deception, not clerical errors. “Federal prosecutors would rarely, if ever, bring fraud charges against a single borrower for this type of misrepresentation,” said Matthew Edwards, a mortgage fraud specialist at Baruch College.

The controversy comes as Trump pressures the Fed to cut rates and faces ongoing battles with James over his civil fraud case and Schiff over his impeachment proceedings. Analysts warn that politicized prosecutions could set a dangerous precedent of retaliatory law enforcement between rival parties.