By Chris Prentice
NEW YORK, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Democratic US Senator Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday pressed Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, an ally of President Donald Trump, to cooperate with a congressional watchdog’s inquiry into his criminal referrals of alleged mortgage fraud.
In a letter sent to Pulte and seen by Reuters, Warren said she believes the FHFA is obstructing inquiries from the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan government agency.
Critics say Pulte has politicized the historically low-profile FHFA since he took the helm in March 2025, including publicly referring to the Department of Justice allegations of mortgage fraud by several of Trump’s perceived foes. Those accused have denied the allegations.
A spokesperson for the FHFA, which was created in response to the 2008 housing crisis to oversee mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, said in a statement that the agency always engages with GAO inquiries.
“The Agency has responded to every one of GAO’s inquiries received this past fiscal year,” the spokesperson said.
Pulte has previously defended the referrals as part of his efforts to root out misconduct and fraud in mortgage markets.
“GAO is working with the agency and Congress to obtain the information we need to conduct our work,” a spokesperson said in a statement, declining to say more about the ongoing efforts.
Last year, Warren of Massachusetts and several other Democratic senators pressed the GAO to investigate Pulte’s conduct, concerned that the referrals were politically motivated and misused government resources.
Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee that oversees the FHFA, said in the letter that it is her understanding that the agency is not complying with the GAO’s requests for information.
“Such obstruction is illegal and may generate unnecessary costs, inhibit GAO’s ability to protect taxpayers, and hinder congressional oversight,” Warren wrote.
Warren’s letter follows the FHFA’s move last week to slash funding to its Office of Inspector General, which it said would bring its budget in line with peers. The OIG’s top official subsequently warned the cuts will force it to slash staff and make it impossible to probe misconduct.
That move also sparked scrutiny from Warren and other fellow Democrats. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Jack Reed of Rhode Island, also members of the Senate Banking Committee, have asked to summon Pulte to testify at a hearing.
(Reporting by Chris Prentice; editing by Michelle Price, Jonathan Spicer and Bill Berkrot)
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