Eric Swalwell Faces DOJ Criminal Probe Over Mortgage Fraud Accusations

California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell faces a potential federal investigation after President Donald Trump’s top housing official referred him to the Department of Justice over alleged mortgage and tax fraud on Thursday.

Swalwell is accused of making false statements on loan documents related to a house in Washington, D.C., according to a letter Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Bill Pulte sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi, NBC News reported. The allegations stem from Swalwell’s purchase of a $1.2 million home in the nation’s capital that he reportedly claimed as his primary residence.

By claiming the D.C. home as his primary residence, Swalwell qualified for millions of dollars’ worth of loans and refinancing, the New York Post reported. His campaign has also faced scrutiny over payments made to a Haitian American staffer that totaled over $360,000 and for expenditures on luxury hotels and car services, according to Fox News.

Swalwell becomes the fourth Democrat in recent months to face mortgage fraud allegations after Pulte also sent the DOJ criminal referrals for Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Biden-appointed Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook. Swalwell told NBC News that the criminal referral didn’t surprise him, arguing that it is politically motivated.

“As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade and as the only person who still has a surviving lawsuit against him, the only thing I am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me,” Swalwell said.

Other Democratic lawmakers argued that the Trump administration is targeting one of the president’s most vocal critics.

“It’s no longer shocking that Trump uses his power to target an outspoken opponent—that’s the hallmark of authoritarianism. What’s remarkable is that he did it less than 24 hours after signing a bill letting 8 GOP senators embezzle $500k–$1M from taxpayers,” wrote Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-CA).

“Donald Trump is once again weaponizing government to punish those who speak out against his dangerous and disastrous policies. He should know my colleague @RepSwalwell is someone who never backs down or bends the knee to a tyrant,” added Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA).

For years after being elected to Congress, Swalwell struggled with finances. According to a Washington Free Beacon report from 2019, he had still failed to pay off his student loans after graduating in 2006 and had accumulated credit card debt.

Swalwell, who has been in Congress since 2013, gained notoriety for his role in pushing the Trump-Russia collusion hoax during Trump’s first term. The Democratic congressman has also been criticized over his relationship with a suspected Chinese spy, a relationship he had while he sat on the House Intelligence Committee.