WASHINGTON– Documents obtained from a credit union refute charges by the Trump administration that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook committed mortgage fraud, for which President Trump has attempted to fire her, according to several sources.
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, along with Trump, has alleged that Cook identified a home in Atlanta as well as another home in Michigan as her “primary” residence for financial gain, which is illegal.
However, a loan summary from the Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union in May 2021 reads: “Property Use: Vacation Home,” according to NBC News, Reuters and other outlets. NBC News said its review of public records in Fulton County, Georgia, shows that no tax exemptions available for a primary residence were sought by Cook.
A second document obtained by NBC News, Cook’s “questionnaire for national security positions,” which was submitted to the Biden administration in late 2021 and later the Senate, contains a question that reads: “Please list all of your interests in real property, including additional homes, vacation homes, rental properties, and interests in trusts that may hold property.”
Cook responded by writing “2nd home” followed by the address of the Atlanta property, according to the report.
FHFA Director: ‘Extremely Concerning’
While the White House declined comment, a representative for FHFA directed NBC News to a post on social media by Pulte, which reads, “If Dr. Cook solicited estimates as a vacation home and then entered into a mortgage agreement as a primary residence, that is extremely concerning, and in my opinion, evidences further intent to defraud.”
Cook’s legal team declined to comment to the outlets.
Termination Blocked by Court
Trump has fired Cook from her Federal Reserve position, but Cook has filed suit and a federal judge has temporarily blocked the termination. The administration has appealed and is seeking to block Cook from this week’s meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, which is expected to vote to cut rates.
