The Federal Reserve Governor who was criminally referred to the Justice Department for potential mortgage fraud responded to housing regulator Bill Pulte’s accusations.
“I learned from the media that FHFA Director William Pulte posted on social media that he was making a criminal referral based on a mortgage application from four years ago, before I joined the Federal Reserve,” Lisa Cook said in a statement.
“I have no intention of being bullied to step down from my position because of some questions raised in a tweet,” she said. “I do intend to take any questions about my financial history seriously as a member of the Federal Reserve and so I am gathering the accurate information to answer any legitimate questions and provide the facts.”
Pulte taunted Lisa Cook.
“Lisa Cook says she will answer all legitimate questions. Let’s start with this. Are these your signatures on Mortgages?” Pulte said on X later Wednesday.
Lisa Cook says she will answer all legitimate questions. Let’s start with this. Are these your signatures on Mortgages? pic.twitter.com/4aOfWB2VN2
— Pulte (@pulte) August 20, 2025
Earlier Wednesday, President Trump called on Biden-appointed Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to resign on Wednesday after the head of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bill Pulte, criminally referred her to the Justice Department for mortgage fraud.
According to Pulte’s criminal referral, Lisa Cook committed mortgage fraud by lying on her mortgage application and falsifying bank statements when she designated her out-of-state Atlanta condo as her “primary residence”—just two weeks after taking a loan on her Michigan home, which she also claimed as her “primary residence.”
By claiming “primary residence” on her out-of-state condo, Lisa Cook received more favorable loan terms and a lower interest rate.
On June 18, 2021, Cook acquired a loan on a property in Ann Arbor, Michigan. On the mortgage agreement, Cook represented to “use the Property as Borrower’s principal residence within 60 days after the execution of her agreement, Pulte said.
On July 2, 2021, just two weeks later, Lisa Cook also purchased a condo in Atlanta and entered a 30-year mortgage agreement and affirmed the property would serve as her primary residence within 60 days of the execution of the mortgage and would serve as her primary residence for a full year, Pulte’s referral said.
According to Pulte, while Cook affirmed her Atlanta property would serve as her primary residence, online records indicate that the property was listed for rent in September 2022.
“While the property was listed for rent in 2022, a review of Ms. Cook’s federal government financial disclosures for calendar years 2022 and 2023 indicate that she has not disclosed any rental income tied to this address,” Pulte wrote in his criminal referral.
This is textbook occupancy fraud.
U.S. Federal Housing FHFA, alleges in a Criminal Referral to the Department of Justice that Federal Reserve Governor, Lisa D. Cook, committed mortgage fraud by designating her out of state condo as her primary residence, just two weeks after taking a loan on her Michigan home… pic.twitter.com/3hlknQ4yzF
— Pulte (@pulte) August 20, 2025
Bill Pulte repeatedly called on Cook to resign and asked if Jerome Powell was aware of her mortgage fraud.
Here is the Criminal Referral Letter on Lisa Cook, the current Fed Governor. pic.twitter.com/aG0LGnokei
— Pulte (@pulte) August 20, 2025
“Cook must resign, now!!” Trump said on Truth Social.
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