Bill Pulte – FHFA Director / Acting Director of National Intelligence
Category: Trump 2.0 Cabinet-rank
Roles: Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency (March 2025 – present); Chairman, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (March 2025 – present); Acting Director of National Intelligence (June 2026 – present)
Priority: P1 (Documented pattern of using government authority to target political opponents; elevated to intelligence control with zero national security background)
Role
On June 2, 2026, President Trump appointed Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence, replacing Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned citing her husband’s cancer diagnosis. Pulte will retain his positions as FHFA Director and Chairman of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while simultaneously overseeing the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA, and FBI intelligence functions. He will serve as the president’s principal intelligence adviser and manage the daily presidential intelligence briefing.
Pulte has no background in intelligence, national security, or the military. His appointment was made in an acting capacity, bypassing Senate confirmation. As acting DNI, Pulte can serve for up to 210 days from the start of the vacancy (Gabbard’s resignation effective June 30) — meaning he could hold the position until approximately January 26, 2027, without Senate confirmation, through the 2026 midterm elections.
Roger Stone helped Trump select Pulte for the role, according to Semafor, with Stone and other Trump allies viewing Pulte’s “attack-dog mentality” as critical to “waging an internal war to ramp up the declassification of sensitive information.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) responded: “We don’t need a weaponized DNI; we need professionals there. … If he’s somebody they want in that position permanently, he’s got a lengthy road ahead of him.”
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued an extended statement: “The concern is not only that Mr. Pulte lacks the ‘extensive national security experience’ required by statute for the job, which was created after intelligence failures led to the deaths of thousands of Americans on 9/11. It is that he appears to have been selected precisely because the White House believes he will provide the narrative it wants, not the intelligence we need.” Warner warned the appointment would leave Americans “more vulnerable to a terrorist attack.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) stated that Pulte has been “abusing his authority” as FHFA director and that Trump is now “rewarding his lackey — who has no national security experience — with a perch atop our nation’s intelligence community.”
Background
William John Pulte (born May 28, 1988) is the grandson of William J. Pulte, founder of PulteGroup, one of the largest residential homebuilders in the United States. He graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in broadcast journalism in 2010. He founded Pulte Capital Partners, a private equity firm, in 2011, and estimated his net worth at $100 million in 2021.
Pulte built a social media following of 3.2 million through “Twitter philanthropy” — cash giveaways requiring recipients to follow him. He has described himself as the “inventor of Twitter philanthropy.”
Family feuds and pattern of personal attack: After being pushed off PulteGroup’s board in 2020, Pulte engaged in an extended, public legal and social media campaign against family members and company executives. Court records document that he accused his grandfather’s widow of insider trading; was allegedly the driving force behind a website trashing his aunt Nancy Pulte Rickard as a “fake Christian” who was “misusing charity funds”; and publicly called a step-aunt a “fat slob,” “weirdo,” and “grifter.” Rickard’s attorneys described the attacks in court filings as a campaign of “degrading and threatening harassment.” Pulte also filed a defamation lawsuit against a PulteGroup executive who had anonymously attacked him online (the executive was fired after being unmasked), though Pulte withdrew the lawsuit in 2025. AP News characterized this history as revealing “the art of the attack” — the same playbook Pulte would later deploy at FHFA against Trump’s political opponents.
Source: AP News, “How Bill Pulte learned the art of the attack, from his own family to Letitia James,” November 2025. NYT, “Housing Official Who Attacked Democrats Invokes a Disputed Family Legacy,” November 14, 2025.
Pulte donated heavily to Republican causes in 2024, including the Republican National Committee and Trump’s presidential campaign. Trump nominated him as FHFA Director in January 2025; the Senate confirmed him 56–43 on March 13, 2025, with three Democrats (Slotkin, Alsobrooks, Gallego) crossing party lines.
Documented Actions
1. Weaponized Mortgage Fraud Referrals Against Trump’s Political Opponents (April 2025 – present)
Since taking office at FHFA, Pulte has systematically filed criminal referrals with the Department of Justice alleging mortgage fraud against multiple prominent Democrats who had investigated or publicly opposed Trump. None of the referrals have resulted in sustained criminal charges.
Targets:
- New York Attorney General Letitia James — Pulte filed criminal referrals alleging James falsified bank documents regarding property in Norfolk, Virginia. The DOJ attempted to prosecute James three times; a federal grand jury in Alexandria refused to indict her; a judge dismissed indictments in November 2025 after finding prosecutor Lindsey Halligan was illegally appointed. Pulte filed two additional referrals in March 2026 alleging insurance fraud. James’s attorney Abbe Lowell called the referrals “baseless.”
Source: NBC News, “Letitia James targeted by Trump official seeking new DOJ prosecution,” March 2026. The Hill, “Justice gets criminal referral alleging mortgage fraud by NY attorney general,” April 2025.
- Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) — In July 2025, Trump accused Schiff of mortgage fraud, citing a Fannie Mae memorandum sent to Pulte. The memorandum did not claim Schiff committed mortgage fraud. Ed Martin was appointed special prosecutor to oversee the investigation. The investigation has not yielded criminal charges. Schiff’s lawyers denied any wrongdoing.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Trump accuses Schiff of mortgage fraud,” July 15, 2025. PBS News, “Document shows DOJ examining the handling of mortgage fraud investigation into Sen. Schiff,” 2026.
- Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook — In August 2025, Pulte alleged Cook committed mortgage fraud. Trump immediately called for Cook’s resignation and invoked “for cause” removal — attempting to use Pulte’s referral as the legal basis for removing a Federal Reserve governor. Two previous reviews by the Fed’s independent inspector general found no wrongdoing. Cook’s lawyers denied the claims.
Source: Politico, “Trump calls on Fed board member Cook to resign after fraud accusation,” August 20, 2025. The Wall Street Journal, “Trump Says He Is Removing Fed Governor Lisa Cook,” August 25, 2025.
- Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) — In November 2025, FHFA opened a mortgage fraud probe against Swalwell. According to Reuters, Pulte instigated the probe by forwarding allegations from The Gateway Pundit to the FHFA inspector general. Swalwell filed a federal lawsuit against Pulte (Swalwell v. William J. Pulte, No. 1:25-cv-04125, D.D.C.) alleging abuse of power, intentional targeting of prominent Democrats, and improper access and leaking of his private mortgage records — timed, Swalwell alleged, to disrupt his campaign for governor of California.
Source: Reuters, December 20, 2025. Los Angeles Times, “Rep. Swalwell’s suit alleges abuse of power,” November 26, 2025. CNBC, “Congressional watchdog probes Trump FHFA chief Bill Pulte,” December 4, 2025.
- Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis — CNN reported in 2025 that Pulte also made a criminal referral against Willis, the prosecutor who brought the Georgia RICO case against Trump, alleging mortgage fraud. No criminal charges have resulted. Willis denied all allegations.
Source: CNN, “Who is Bill Pulte? Trump taps housing official as acting intelligence chief,” June 2, 2026.
- Former FBI Director James Comey — While not directly referred by Pulte, his advocacy for the ouster of U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert and installation of Lindsey Halligan led directly to the indictment of Comey. Halligan indicted Comey within days of her appointment; the case has faced legal challenges based on her improper appointment. AG Bondi has asked an appeals court to resurrect the scuttled indictment.
Source: NYT, “Inside the Trump Administration’s Push to Prosecute James Comey,” September 27, 2025. Bloomberg Law, “Pulte Makes New Fraud Allegations Against New York AG James,” March 2026.
Complete referral list as of June 2026: Letitia James (mortgage fraud, insurance fraud), Adam Schiff (mortgage fraud), Lisa Cook (mortgage fraud), Eric Swalwell (mortgage fraud), Fani Willis (mortgage fraud). All are prominent Democrats who investigated, prosecuted, or publicly opposed Trump. All deny wrongdoing. None of the referrals have resulted in sustained criminal charges.
Pattern: Selective enforcement targeting exclusively Trump opponents. ProPublica reported in September 2025 that three Trump Cabinet members had similar housing claims in mortgage and financial paperwork; Reuters reported Pulte’s own father and stepmother had done so as well. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Pulte has downplayed or ignored” these comparable cases. Pulte told reporters he had made a criminal referral regarding “at least one Republican official” but declined to provide a name.
Congressional investigation: In September 2025, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) wrote a detailed letter to Pulte accusing him of conducting “deep-sea fishing expeditions of Americans’ personal financial information” and demanding records of all mortgage investigations initiated since January 20, 2025. Raskin’s letter identified additional possible targets including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and other Fed governors. In November 2025, eight Senate Democrats led by Elizabeth Warren formally requested a GAO investigation, which was opened in December 2025.
Source: Raskin letter to Pulte, September 8, 2025 (democrats-judiciary.house.gov). Axios, “Senate Democrats urge watchdog to probe Trump official’s criminal referrals,” November 18, 2025. Democracy Forward, “Weaponization of Federal Housing Finance Agency Investigations,” 2025–2026.
2. Palantir Partnership and AI-Powered Targeting (May 2025 – present)
In May 2025, Pulte announced a partnership with Peter Thiel’s Palantir Technologies to establish an “AI-powered Crime Detection Unit (CDU)” at Fannie Mae. The CDU was designed to use artificial intelligence to scan the mortgage records of the government-sponsored enterprises’ tens of millions of borrowers. Pulte framed it as a fraud detection tool, but the timeline is revealing: the partnership was announced shortly after Pulte’s initial referrals against James and Schiff, and within weeks, new referrals followed against Lisa Cook.
Representative Jamie Raskin’s September 2025 letter to Pulte specifically flagged the Palantir connection, writing that Pulte appeared to be using FHFA to “conduct deep-sea fishing expeditions of Americans’ personal financial information, apparently with help from Peter Thiel’s data company, Palantir, to deliver artificial intelligence-aided opposition research reports on officials who have held President Trump accountable.” Raskin noted that Palantir was simultaneously building a “master database of Americans’ personal information” for other government agencies.
Democracy Forward filed FOIA requests and subsequently obtained records through litigation revealing that FHFA acted inconsistently with the investigative safeguards of its own Office of Inspector General when sensitive mortgage data for James, Schiff, and Cook was accessed.
Source: The Daily Beast, “Peter Thiel’s AI Palantir Is Supercharging Trump’s Lawfare,” 2025. Raskin letter to Pulte, September 8, 2025 (democrats-judiciary.house.gov). Democracy Forward, “Weaponization of Federal Housing Finance Agency Investigations,” 2025–2026. Inman, “Pulte dismisses claims he is ‘weaponizing’ mortgage fraud,” August 22, 2025.
3. Fired Ethics Investigators Probing His Own Conduct (October–November 2025)
On October 30, 2025, Pulte fired a dozen officials in Fannie Mae’s ethics and internal investigations unit. The Wall Street Journal reported these investigators had been probing whether Pulte had improperly obtained mortgage records of key Democratic officials, following internal complaints that senior officials had improperly directed staff to access the mortgage documents of James and others.
Those fired or forced out included:
- Suzanne Libby, Fannie Mae Chief Ethics Officer
- Danielle McCoy, General Counsel (pressured to resign)
- Priscilla Almodovar, Fannie Mae CEO (removed in October 2025)
- Multiple officials who raised concerns about Pulte ordering the release of confidential mortgage pricing data
The Washington Post reported that Pulte fired the internal watchdogs who “were looking into multiple complaints against a high-ranking company officer close to him.” Senior officials were ousted after they “voiced alarm that a Pulte confidant, acting on his behalf, had shared confidential pricing data with Freddie Mac, a top competitor.”
Source: The Wall Street Journal, “Fannie Mae Watchdogs Probed How Pulte Obtained Mortgage Records of Key Democrats,” November 11, 2025. Washington Post, “Housing official Bill Pulte fired ethics workers who were looking into his ally,” November 10, 2025. AP News, “Top Fannie Mae officials ousted after sounding alarm on sharing confidential housing data,” November 13, 2025.
4. Federal Grand Jury Probe and GAO Investigation (2025–present)
Federal grand jury investigation: A federal grand jury in Maryland is investigating whether Pulte and Justice Department official Ed Martin illegally shared sensitive grand jury information with unauthorized people. The investigation is focused on whether the mortgage fraud investigations of Schiff and James were tainted by the investigative methods used by Pulte and Martin. At least one witness received a grand jury subpoena to produce correspondence with Pulte and people claiming to act at his direction. ABC News reported that the DOJ and FBI are scrutinizing whether Pulte and Martin “enlisted individuals outside the Department of Justice to probe allegations of mortgage fraud.”
Source: MSNBC, “Grand jury investigating potential misconduct in probes of Trump critics,” 2025. ABC News, “DOJ, FBI probing top Trump administration officials over investigations of president’s adversaries,” 2025.
GAO investigation: In December 2025, the Government Accountability Office opened a formal investigation into whether Pulte “misused federal authority and resources” at the FHFA, in response to a letter from eight Senate Democrats led by Senator Elizabeth Warren. The investigation is examining Pulte’s mortgage fraud referrals, firing of ethics investigators, and alleged abuse of agency authority.
Source: Inman Real Estate News, “GAO Will Look Into Claims Pulte has Weaponized Fannie and Freddie,” December 4, 2025. CNBC, “Congressional watchdog probes Trump FHFA chief Bill Pulte,” December 4, 2025.
Bypassed inspector general: Reuters reported in October 2025 that Pulte had “skipped over his agency’s inspector general when making criminal referrals,” violating standard ethics rules for such referrals.
Source: Reuters, “Trump official bypassed ethics rules in criminal referrals of Fed governor and other foes, sources say,” October 6, 2025.
5. Mass Firings at Fannie Mae — Nationality Discrimination Allegations (April 2025)
On April 2–3, 2025, Fannie Mae summarily fired over 100 employees via a Microsoft Teams call, citing “unethical conduct, including facilitating fraud” related to a charitable matching program. Pulte publicly stated on Fox News that employees had been “making donations to the charity and then getting kickbacks.”
As of June 2026, Pulte has not released evidence of fraud, no fired employees have been charged with crimes, and the affected employees — all U.S. citizens of Indian origin, most fluent in Telugu, many with 10–22-year tenures — have filed multiple lawsuits:
- Defamation lawsuit (61 plaintiffs): Dismissed by Judge Leonie Brinkema under the Westfall Act, ruling Pulte was immune from defamation claims as a federal official. The judge noted she was “not unsympathetic” and that “it was possible Pulte never had evidence of fraud.”
- Nationality and age discrimination lawsuit (55 plaintiffs, Case No. 1:25-cv-02346, D.D.C.): Alleges the mass firing was a pretext for nationality-based discrimination, noting “all but a handful were over the age of 40 and most over the age of 50.” Pending.
Three Indian-American members of Congress sent a letter to Pulte and Almodovar expressing concern that donations to Indian-American organizations “may have been used as a pretext to make indiscriminate cuts.”
Source: National Mortgage News, “Fannie Mae faces bias suit after mass firing over fraud,” 2025. Bisnow, “41 Fired Fannie Mae Staffers Sue Agency CEO, FHFA’s Pulte For Defamation,” 2025. National Mortgage News, “Fired Fannie Mae workers’ defamation lawsuit dismissed,” 2026.
6. Role in Ouster of U.S. Attorney and Installation of Political Prosecutor (September 2025)
Pulte was responsible for advocating the ouster of Erik Siebert, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, after claiming Siebert deliberately delayed investigations of Letitia James and James Comey. Federal prosecutors at the time had concluded they did not have sufficient evidence to prosecute James. Trump forced Siebert out and installed Lindsey Halligan, who sought indictments of James and Comey within days of her appointment. The New Yorker characterized the firing as “crossing the reddest of lines.”
Source: Washington Post, “Top Virginia prosecutor resigns amid criticism over Letitia James investigation,” September 19, 2025. The New Yorker, “Donald Trump’s Firing of a Federal Prosecutor Crosses the Reddest of Lines,” September 21, 2025. NYT, “Inside the Trump Administration’s Push to Prosecute James Comey,” September 27, 2025.
7. Pressure Campaign Against the Federal Reserve (2025)
Pulte was a vocal advocate for firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over interest rate policy, publicly calling for Powell’s removal. He used the Lisa Cook mortgage fraud referral as a mechanism to justify Trump’s attempt to remove a Fed governor — an unprecedented attempt to use a housing regulator’s authority to destabilize Federal Reserve independence.
The conflict with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over housing and Fed policy escalated to a physical confrontation at the Executive Branch club in Washington. According to Politico, Bessent told Pulte: “Why the f— are you talking to the president about me? F— you. I’m gonna punch you in your f—ing face.” Bessent challenged Pulte to go outside, saying: “No. I’m going to f—ing beat your a–.” The altercation was reported by one eyewitness and four people familiar with the incident.
Politico separately reported that Republican lawmakers had soured on Pulte, with one Republican characterizing him as “a nut.”
Source: Politico Magazine, “‘I’m Gonna Punch You in Your F–king Face’: Scott Bessent Threatens an Administration Rival,” September 8, 2025. Politico, “‘He’s a nut’: Hill Republicans sour on Trump housing official Bill Pulte,” September 9, 2025. NYT, “Trump’s Treasury Secretary Threatens to Punch Housing Official in the Face,” September 8, 2025.
8. North Korean and Chinese National Referrals (May 2025)
In May 2025, Pulte announced in a Bloomberg Television interview that FHFA had referred “five or six” individuals to the DOJ who were allegedly Chinese and North Korean nationals working inside Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while “posing as either real Americans or in some cases contractors.” Pulte also referenced “some of the Indians” working inside the companies, in apparent reference to the mass firings of Indian-American employees the previous month.
No criminal indictments have been announced related to these claims. The timing — concurrent with Pulte’s high-profile referrals of Democratic officials — raised questions about whether the foreign national claims were genuine security concerns or served to provide political cover for the partisan referral pattern.
Source: HousingWire, “North Korean, Chinese nationals working at GSEs referred to DOJ,” May 2025. National Mortgage News, “Pulte: FHFA reported North Koreans, Chinese at GSEs to DOJ,” May 2025. NK News, “North Koreans infiltrated US government-owned mortgage companies, official says,” May 2025.
9. Consolidation of Power at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (March 2025 – present)
Within days of being sworn in at FHFA, Pulte:
- Named himself chairman of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
- Pushed to remove numerous board members
- Fired top staff and placed 35 workers on administrative leave without advance notice
- Ended programs supporting first-time home buyers and assisting in down payments
- Eliminated a department that oversaw fair housing rules for the Federal Home Loan Bank system
- Proposed 50-year mortgages, which Politico revealed he personally pitched to Trump on a posterboard at Mar-a-Lago; the proposal was widely criticized by economists as likely to increase housing costs
The Washington Post characterized his management as “Trumpian policy-by-tweet … often announcing sudden shifts without much heads-up or detail.”
Source: NYT, “Mortgage Giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Brace for Job Cuts,” March 18, 2025. Washington Post, “Meet the unpredictable housing regulator with Trump’s ear,” August 7, 2025. Politico, “‘Sold POTUS a bill of goods’: White House furious with Pulte over 50-year mortgage,” November 10, 2025.
Acting DNI: Assessment of Danger
The appointment of Pulte as Acting DNI is significant for several reasons documented by his own record at FHFA:
- Demonstrated pattern of weaponizing government data against political opponents. At FHFA, Pulte used access to confidential mortgage records to file criminal referrals against Democrats who had investigated or opposed Trump. As DNI, he will have access to the most sensitive intelligence data in the United States, including signals intelligence, communications metadata, classified investigations, and counterintelligence operations targeting foreign and domestic threats.
- Demonstrated willingness to fire investigators probing his conduct. Pulte fired Fannie Mae’s Chief Ethics Officer and a dozen ethics investigators who were looking into his own behavior. As DNI, he will have authority over the inspectors general and internal oversight mechanisms of 18 intelligence agencies.
- Subject of active federal investigations. Pulte is currently the subject of a federal grand jury probe and a GAO investigation — yet has been placed in charge of the intelligence community, which includes the FBI intelligence division that could be involved in investigations of him.
- No national security qualifications. The DNI position was created after 9/11 specifically to coordinate intelligence and prevent catastrophic failures. The statute requires “extensive national security experience.” Pulte has none.
- Roger Stone’s role in selection. According to Semafor, Roger Stone helped Trump choose Pulte for the DNI role, viewing his “attack-dog mentality” as critical for “waging an internal war to ramp up the declassification of sensitive information.” Stone’s stated objective suggests the appointment is designed not to improve intelligence operations but to weaponize declassification authority against political targets.
- Will retain FHFA roles simultaneously. Pulte will split time between managing mortgage finance ($10 trillion in assets) and the nation’s intelligence agencies during an ongoing war with Iran — an extraordinary concentration of unrelated authority in a single official.
- 210-day acting window through the 2026 midterms. Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, Pulte can serve as acting DNI for up to 210 days without Senate confirmation. This window extends approximately through January 2027, meaning he would control the intelligence community through the entire 2026 midterm election cycle — elections in which several of his referral targets (Schiff, Swalwell) or their allies are on the ballot.
- Palantir AI capability at his disposal. At FHFA, Pulte partnered with Palantir to build an AI-powered surveillance tool for mortgage records. As DNI, he will have access to vastly more powerful AI and data analysis tools across the intelligence community — tools designed for foreign adversaries but potentially directable at domestic political targets.
Accountability Status
Current status: Active — serving as FHFA Director, Chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and Acting Director of National Intelligence as of June 2, 2026.
Legal exposure:
| Category | Exposure |
|---|---|
| Obstruction / contempt (grand jury probe) | Federal grand jury in Maryland investigating whether Pulte illegally shared sensitive grand jury information with unauthorized people in connection with Schiff and James investigations |
| Abuse of authority (GAO investigation) | Government Accountability Office probe into misuse of federal authority and resources at FHFA — weaponized mortgage fraud referrals |
| Privacy violations (Swalwell lawsuit) | Swalwell v. Pulte (No. 1:25-cv-04125, D.D.C.) — alleging abuse of power, intentional targeting, and privacy law violations |
| Nationality discrimination | Pending class action (Case No. 1:25-cv-02346, D.D.C.) by 55 fired Fannie Mae employees of Indian origin alleging nationality and age discrimination |
| Inspector general bypass | Reuters documented Pulte skipped the FHFA inspector general when making criminal referrals, violating ethics rules |
| DNI statutory qualifications | The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires the DNI to have “extensive national security experience”; Pulte has none |
| FOIA litigation (Democracy Forward) | Democracy Forward filed suit under FOIA seeking records of FHFA investigative processes; released records show FHFA bypassed its own OIG safeguards |
| Raskin congressional investigation | House Judiciary Ranking Member Raskin opened September 2025 investigation into Pulte’s use of FHFA to target Trump’s political enemies; demands for all records since January 20, 2025 |
Active federal litigation and investigations:
- Federal grand jury, D. Md. — Pulte/Martin misconduct investigation
- GAO investigation (opened December 2025) — FHFA authority abuse
- Swalwell v. Pulte (No. 1:25-cv-04125, D.D.C., filed November 25, 2025)
- Nationality discrimination class action (No. 1:25-cv-02346, D.D.C.)
- Democracy Forward FOIA litigation — FHFA investigative records
- Raskin investigation (House Judiciary, opened September 2025)
Truth and Reconciliation Considerations
Investigation priorities
- FHFA mortgage data access chain: Determine how Pulte obtained confidential mortgage records of James, Schiff, Cook, Swalwell, and Willis; whether staff were improperly directed to access those records; whether the Palantir AI-powered Crime Detection Unit was used to scan for targets matching Trump’s public enemy list; whether the records were shared with DOJ officials, Ed Martin, or outside parties without authorization
- Grand jury information sharing: Complete the Maryland grand jury investigation into whether Pulte and Martin illegally shared sensitive grand jury information; determine whether the mortgage fraud investigations of Schiff and James were tainted by improper methods
- Ethics investigator firings — obstruction inquiry: Determine whether the October 30, 2025 mass firing of Fannie Mae ethics investigators constituted obstruction of their investigation into Pulte’s conduct; obtain all communications between Pulte and his allies in the days preceding the firings
- Selective enforcement documentation: Compile the complete record of Pulte’s criminal referrals — who was referred (James, Schiff, Cook, Swalwell, Willis, possibly others), who was not referred, and what comparable cases involving Trump allies were known but not acted upon; ProPublica and Reuters reporting on Trump Cabinet members and Pulte family members with similar housing claims establishes the baseline
- Palantir partnership scope: Obtain all records of the Fannie Mae/Palantir AI Crime Detection Unit, including: what queries were run, whose records were accessed, whether named-individual searches preceded the “fraud detection” framing, and what data was shared with DOJ or the White House
- DNI tenure — intelligence access and use: Document all intelligence products, briefings, and classified information accessed by Pulte during his tenure as Acting DNI; determine whether any intelligence capabilities, including surveillance tools, were directed at domestic political targets
- Roger Stone’s role: Obtain all communications between Stone, Pulte, and Trump regarding the DNI appointment; determine whether Stone’s stated objective of using Pulte’s “attack-dog mentality” to wage “an internal war” within the intelligence community was operationalized
Testimony value
Pulte is a critical witness for understanding how the Trump administration systematically weaponized regulatory agencies against political opponents. His testimony would address the full chain from identifying targets (via Trump’s public statements) to accessing confidential data, filing referrals, installing compliant prosecutors, and firing oversight personnel who investigated the scheme.
Institutional reform
- DNI qualification enforcement: Amend the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act to make the “extensive national security experience” requirement enforceable, with specific minimum criteria, rather than advisory
- Regulatory referral safeguards: Require all criminal referrals from independent regulatory agencies to go through the agency inspector general with documented factual basis, preventing direct head-of-agency referrals that bypass oversight
- FHFA data access controls: Implement audit trails and access controls preventing FHFA directors from directing staff to access individual mortgage records without documented regulatory purpose
- Ethics investigator protections: Statutory protection for ethics office staff at GSEs and independent agencies against termination during active investigations involving the agency head
Cross-References
Skills: public-corruption-ombudsman, trump-corruption-accountability-tracker, first-amendment-legal-expert, fourth-amendment-legal-expert
Related profiles: pam-bondi-profile, kash-patel-profile, tulsi-gabbard-profile, roger-stone-profile
Topics: Retribution, intelligence community weaponization, mortgage fraud weaponization, FHFA abuse, ethics investigator firings, Federal Reserve pressure, political prosecution, nationality discrimination, Palantir AI surveillance, 2026 midterm election security
Investigative trail pointers (public records)
Education only — verify independently. Absence of hits is not proof.
| Channel | Starting points |
|---|---|
| Federal courts | CourtListener / PACER: Swalwell v. Pulte (1:25-cv-04125); Fannie Mae discrimination suits (1:25-cv-02346); defamation suits |
| Grand jury | D. Md. grand jury probe — Pulte/Martin grand jury information sharing |
| GAO | GAO investigation opened December 2025 — FHFA authority abuse |
| Campaign finance | FEC: Pulte contributions to RNC, Trump campaign (2024) |
| Corporate / LLC | Pulte Capital Partners; PulteGroup board tenure (2016–2020); Pulte Family Office |
| Congressional record | Warren et al. letter to Pulte, September 26, 2025; Subramanyam et al. letter re: Fannie Mae firings |
Use public-records-research-specialist, corporate-intelligence-investigator, and public-corruption-ombudsman evidence tiers.
Factual correction requests: If you believe information in this profile is incorrect, please contact factcheck@patriot.university with your name (optional), the specific claim, and any supporting documentation. We review all submissions and correct verified errors promptly.
For Trump Supporters: Questions Worth Considering
Bill Pulte, as head of the housing finance agency, filed criminal referrals against Letitia James, Adam Schiff, Lisa Cook, Eric Swalwell, and Fani Willis — all Democrats who investigated or opposed Trump — alleging mortgage fraud. He partnered with Palantir, a surveillance company, to use AI to scan mortgage records. None of these referrals have resulted in sustained criminal charges. The DOJ tried to prosecute James three times and failed. Two separate grand juries refused to indict her. Meanwhile, ProPublica reported that three of Trump’s own Cabinet members had similar housing claims in their mortgage paperwork, and Reuters reported that Pulte’s own father and stepmother had done so as well. Pulte downplayed or ignored those comparable cases.
When investigators inside Fannie Mae began looking into whether Pulte had improperly obtained mortgage records to use against these Democrats, Pulte fired the Chief Ethics Officer and a dozen ethics investigators. A federal grand jury is now investigating whether Pulte and Ed Martin illegally shared sensitive information.
Now this same person has been placed in charge of 18 intelligence agencies, including the CIA and NSA — during a war with Iran — with zero national security experience. He can serve in the role for up to 210 days without Senate confirmation, covering the entire 2026 midterm election cycle. Even Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, said: “We don’t need a weaponized DNI; we need professionals there.”
The question: if you support government accountability and equal treatment under the law, can a person who demonstrably used housing data and AI surveillance tools to target only one party’s officials — while ignoring identical conduct by his own allies — be trusted with the nation’s most sensitive intelligence? What happens when those same tools, now including signals intelligence and classified databases, are directed at anyone who criticizes the president? And if the answer is “yes because the targets deserve it,” ask yourself: what happens when the other party controls this same power?
Sources
- NBC News, “Housing official who targeted Trump’s enemies is named director of intelligence,” June 2, 2026.
- Axios, “Trump names Bill Pulte, housing regulator attack dog, as acting DNI,” June 2, 2026.
- Fox News, “Trump names Bill Pulte acting director of national intelligence,” June 2, 2026.
- Semafor, “Roger Stone helped Trump choose an unorthodox new intel adviser,” June 2, 2026.
- The Hill, “Sen. John Thune says ‘we don’t need a weaponized’ DNI after Trump taps Bill Pulte,” June 2, 2026.
- MSNBC/Maddow Blog, “Trump names FHFA’s Bill Pulte for acting DNI in latest radical personnel move,” June 2, 2026.
- AP/Houston Chronicle, “Trump taps housing regulator Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence,” June 2, 2026.
- NBC News, “Letitia James targeted by Trump official seeking new DOJ prosecution,” March 2026.
- The Hill, “Justice gets criminal referral alleging mortgage fraud by NY attorney general,” April 2025.
- Los Angeles Times, “Trump accuses Schiff of mortgage fraud, which Schiff calls false ‘political retaliation,'” July 15, 2025.
- PBS News, “Document shows DOJ examining the handling of mortgage fraud investigation into Sen. Schiff,” 2026.
- Politico, “Trump calls on Fed board member Cook to resign after fraud accusation,” August 20, 2025.
- The Wall Street Journal, “Trump Says He Is Removing Fed Governor Lisa Cook,” August 25, 2025.
- Reuters, “Trump appointee inspired by conservative media outlet to push for probe of Democratic congressman,” December 20, 2025.
- Los Angeles Times, “Rep. Swalwell’s suit alleges abuse of power,” November 26, 2025.
- The Wall Street Journal, “Fannie Mae Watchdogs Probed How Pulte Obtained Mortgage Records of Key Democrats,” November 11, 2025.
- Washington Post, “Housing official Bill Pulte fired ethics workers who were looking into his ally,” November 10, 2025.
- AP News, “Top Fannie Mae officials ousted after sounding alarm on sharing confidential housing data,” November 13, 2025.
- MSNBC, “Grand jury investigating potential misconduct in probes of Trump critics,” 2025.
- ABC News, “DOJ, FBI probing top Trump administration officials over investigations of president’s adversaries,” 2025.
- Inman Real Estate News, “GAO Will Look Into Claims Pulte has Weaponized Fannie and Freddie,” December 4, 2025.
- CNBC, “Congressional watchdog probes Trump FHFA chief Bill Pulte,” December 4, 2025.
- Reuters, “Trump official bypassed ethics rules in criminal referrals of Fed governor and other foes,” October 6, 2025.
- National Mortgage News, “Fannie Mae faces bias suit after mass firing over fraud,” 2025.
- Bisnow, “41 Fired Fannie Mae Staffers Sue Agency CEO, FHFA’s Pulte For Defamation,” 2025.
- National Mortgage News, “Fired Fannie Mae workers’ defamation lawsuit dismissed,” 2026.
- Washington Post, “Top Virginia prosecutor resigns amid criticism over Letitia James investigation,” September 19, 2025.
- The New Yorker, “Donald Trump’s Firing of a Federal Prosecutor Crosses the Reddest of Lines,” September 21, 2025.
- NYT, “Inside the Trump Administration’s Push to Prosecute James Comey,” September 27, 2025.
- Politico Magazine, “‘I’m Gonna Punch You in Your F–king Face’: Scott Bessent Threatens an Administration Rival,” September 8, 2025.
- Politico, “‘He’s a nut’: Hill Republicans sour on Trump housing official Bill Pulte,” September 9, 2025.
- NYT, “Mortgage Giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Brace for Job Cuts,” March 18, 2025.
- Washington Post, “Meet the unpredictable housing regulator with Trump’s ear,” August 7, 2025.
- Politico, “‘Sold POTUS a bill of goods’: White House furious with Pulte over 50-year mortgage,” November 10, 2025.
- ProPublica, “Trump Is Accusing Foes With Multiple Mortgages of Fraud. Records Show 3 of His Cabinet Members Have Them,” September 4, 2025.
- Reuters, “Bill Pulte accused Fed Governor Lisa Cook of fraud. His relatives filed housing claims similar to hers,” September 5, 2025.
- Washington Post, “Democrats say Bill Pulte ‘abused’ his role with mortgage fraud probes,” September 26, 2025.
- NYT, “Housing Official’s Push on Mortgage Fraud Gives Trump a Political Weapon,” August 26, 2025.
- Washington Post, “The Trump administration’s new weapon against foes: Mortgage filings,” August 25, 2025.
- Wikipedia, “Bill Pulte,” accessed June 2, 2026.
- FHFA official biography, “William J. Pulte, Director,” fhfa.gov.
- Washington Post, “Witness exposes unusual tactics used to prop up mortgage fraud cases,” November 24, 2025.
- NYT, “Housing Official Who Attacked Democrats Invokes a Disputed Family Legacy,” November 14, 2025.
- Eastern Herald, “Trump Names Bill Pulte Acting DNI, Bypassing Senate as Thune Warns Against ‘Weaponized’ Intelligence,” June 2, 2026.
- AP News, “How Bill Pulte learned the art of the attack, from his own family to Letitia James,” November 2025.
- CNN, “Who is Bill Pulte? Trump taps housing official as acting intelligence chief,” June 2, 2026.
- The Daily Beast, “Peter Thiel’s AI Palantir Is Supercharging Trump’s Lawfare,” 2025.
- Democracy Forward, “Weaponization of Federal Housing Finance Agency Investigations,” 2025–2026.
- Raskin letter to Pulte, September 8, 2025 (democrats-judiciary.house.gov).
- Axios, “Senate Democrats urge watchdog to probe Trump official’s criminal referrals,” November 18, 2025.
- HousingWire, “North Korean, Chinese nationals working at GSEs referred to DOJ,” May 2025.
- National Mortgage News, “Pulte: FHFA reported North Koreans, Chinese at GSEs to DOJ,” May 2025.
- NK News, “North Koreans infiltrated US government-owned mortgage companies, official says,” May 2025.
- Bloomberg Law, “Pulte Makes New Fraud Allegations Against New York AG James,” March 2026.
- HousingWire, “FHFA’s Bill Pulte files new DOJ referrals against Letitia James,” March 2026.
- ABC News, “DOJ, FBI probing top Trump administration officials over investigations of president’s adversaries,” 2025.
- NBC Bay Area, “Who is Bill Pulte? Trump taps housing official as spy agency chief,” June 2, 2026.
- Washington Examiner, “What to know about Bill Pulte, Trump’s pick to be acting ODNI chief,” June 2, 2026.
- TDPel Media, “Bill Pulte emerges as Donald Trump’s aggressive behind-the-scenes enforcer,” 2025.
Last Updated: June 2, 2026
Profile Status: Active monitoring — CRITICAL PRIORITY: Acting DNI appointment with documented retribution record; active grand jury probe; intelligence community weaponization risk
Next Review: Weekly during DNI tenure