Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) has filed a lawsuit against Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, accusing him of violating the First Amendment and the Privacy Act of 1974 in his criminal referral to the Department of Justice that alleged the congressman committed mortgage fraud.
Politco reports Swalwell accused Pulte of “scouring databases at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac” in search of his private mortgage records. Swalwell is a longtime critic of President Trump and he accused Pulte of seeking out this information in violation of the First Amendment’s “bedrock prohibition on viewpoint-based retaliation.” Swalwell’s lawsuit added that Pulte took similar actions against other prominent figures who have been at odd with the president, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook.
“Director Pulte has combed through private records of political opponents. To silence them,” Swalwell said in a statement. “There’s a reason the First Amendment — the freedom of speech — comes before all others.”
Swalwell also accused Pulte of violating the Privacy Act of 1974, which forbids federal agencies from making unauthorized public disclosures of sensitive information relating to an individual.
Swalwell’s complaint added Pulte’s referral was made to damage his reputation ahead of his announcement that he was running for governor of California. He has asked the court to have Pulte withdraw his criminal referral and to pay for damages relating to Privacy Act violations.
After four years of Doctor Jill’s Presidency, democrats still believe the law’s the rest of us have to follow simply don’t apply to them.
Baloney buddy. These Trumpers are the ones who think they don’t have to follow the law. Bombing boats. Putting cops into cities based off zilch. Trying to go after people over piddly mortgage stuff …. unlike Trump’s 100s of million$ in real estate lies.
Get real.
Please get your face off your orange king’s ass.
How easily the MAWA forget that the last three years of St. Ronnie the Traitor’s second term, Nancy the Astrologist and Alexander Haig the Sycophant/Chief of Staff were effectively running the country (according to all of their kids except the adopted one who got caught repeatedly lying to protect dear ol’ daddy’s legacy).
If Congress had the proof, they totally should have gone after Biden. If he was guilty, he totally should have been dragged out of there by his heels.
See, THAT is the difference…most normal folks (plus me) realize anybody might be ‘corrupt’ or commit a crime, but we say ‘Punish them!’. The weird cult of MAWA (W = white) lives in an alternate universe where their people should be magically protected for some insane reason. That list is going to REALLY be a shocker for you, isn’t it??
Go get him and don’t settle!
I think Mr. Pulte, “senior” has more experience and would have treated the job very differently. Mr. Pulte, “junior” isn’t right for this job. He’s a rookie by comparison and doesn’t know the law as well as he thinks he does.
It was Old Pulte’s money that got his nepo-baby the job, however. He easily could have taken it for himself. He decided to let/push junior into the job. Probably tells us he would rather let the mope screw over the country than screw up the company he built for decades making crap homes with non-union labor and cheap materials.
If the kid doesn’t ‘know the law’ by now, that is his fault, his daddy’s fault, and the Orange Puppet’s fault for putting him in the job just because he got paid to do so.
Keep your eyes on the ball. The issue, very simply, is:
“Did Swallwell lie on his mortgage application, to defraud the lender?”
If he did, then he should go down for it. Either way, though, if the information to do so was gathered by illegal/illicit means, the person responsible should also go down.
We can walk and chew gum at the same time, let’s not pretend Swalwell was not targeted ONLY because he goes after the Felon-in-Chief. Both should be investigated, with the law as the guide alone, not politics.
Maybe Pulte’s punishment is he must take out one of his promoted 50 year mortgage loans!
Pulte is a slimy and inept, crook or the Orange Thing would never have appointed him to that post.
Yessss! Pulte should be sued- he is being used as Trump’s attack dog against his ‘enemies’ translated as anyone who stands up to the big orange narcissist faces threats and intimidation and a dirt-digging campaign. What kind of authoritarian police state are we turning into? We are using ICE as the gestapo and threatening our own citizens with the military. Never thought this kind of crazy could happen in this country in my lifetime. This administration is absolutely vile and delusional. We have to oppose it, no matter which side of the aisle you’re on.
Interesting that it is okay for some to target their conservative opponents, spying on them, collecting phone records and running on campaigns to prosecute their political opponents, but when it happens to them it is either weaponization or illegal. How does it feel when it is happening to you, especially if it is legitimate and not a fairy tale or just TDS?