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Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., accused a top housing official of secretly pulling Democrats’ private mortgage records and weaponizing them to trigger federal criminal probes, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
In the suit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., Swalwell claimed that Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte abused his position to obtain the mortgage records of numerous Democrats, which he used in criminal referrals to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The civil suit argued that the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) did not have the authority to obtain, use or leak private data belonging to several prominent Democrats, who are widely viewed as staunch critics of President Donald Trump.
“Today I have filed a civil lawsuit against FHA Director Bill Pulte for violating the Privacy Act and First Amendment,” Swalwell said in a statement. “Director Pulte has combed through private records of political opponents. To silence them.”
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According to the lawsuit, Pulte “abused his position” by scouring government-sponsored databases for the private records of a number of Democrats, including Swalwell, which he then used “to concoct fanciful allegations of mortgage fraud” that he referred to the DOJ for prosecution, the lawsuit stated.
The DOJ opened a probe into Swalwell on Nov. 13 over alleged mortgage fraud.
The lawsuit stated that Pulte claimed in his referral to the DOJ that Swalwell falsely claimed his D.C. home as his primary residence on a mortgage agreement to help secure more favorable loan terms.
But the California Democrat’s suit described the allegations in the referral as a “gross mischaracterization of reality” that represents “a gross abuse of power that violated the law.”
“The allegations in Pulte’s referral are patently false,” the suit argued.
The DOJ probe came as Swalwell set his sights on a higher office, announcing last week that he is launching a campaign for California governor in 2026. The lawsuit claims that the release of his personal information has harmed his reputation ahead of his gubernatorial campaign and forced him to “expend personal resources” as he fights the DOJ probe.
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Swalwell added in his complaint that the “widespread publication of information about the home where his wife and young children reside has exposed him to heightened security risks and caused him significant anguish and distress.”
Swalwell claims in his suit that his political views have “earned him the ire of President Trump.” The lawsuit points to additional referrals FHFA made to the DOJ involving political figures who are seen as critics of Trump, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, arguing that there is a pattern of political retaliation.
A federal judge threw out the indictment against Letitia James on Monday.
Swalwell argued that Pulte’s “unlawful actions” were intentional and represented “a purposeful attack on core democratic norms and reflect a base desire to achieve exactly what the First Amendment and the Privacy Act exist to prevent: the use of government machinery to chill and silence the government’s critics.”
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Swalwell is seeking damages, a declaration that FHFA violated federal law and an injunction forcing the agency to retract its referral.
Pulte and the Federal Housing Finance Agency did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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