Tag: fraud

Trump fires Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook over mortgage fraud allegations

President Trump fired Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook Monday over allegations that she committed mortgage fraud.

“Pursuant to my authority under Article Il of the Constitution of the United States and the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, as amended, you are hereby removed from your position on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, effective immediately,” Trump wrote in a letter addressed to Cook, which he posted on Truth Social.

Cook, however, argued that Trump has “no authority” to fire her and indicated that she’s not leaving her post, in a statement.

“President Trump purported to fire me ‘for cause’ when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so,” Cook said, according to multiple outlets. “I will not resign. I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy as I have been doing since 2022.”

The longtime academic, who previously served on former President Barack Obama’s White House Council of Economic Advisers and former President Joe Biden’s transition team, has hired former first son Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, to represent her. 

In a statement, Lowell vowed to take “whatever actions are needed” to stop what he described as Trump’s “illegal action.”

Cook’s firing comes after Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte accused the Federal Reserve board member of falsifying bank documents and property records to secure better loan terms, in a criminal referral sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi last week.

Pulte alleged in an X post that Cook had designated a condo in Atlanta as her primary residence in July 2021, just two weeks after taking a loan on her Michigan home, which she also declared as a primary residence.

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Reporter Thrown Out of Fed’s Jackson Hole Conference, Charged With Criminal Trespass For Asking Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook Questions About Her Mortgage Fraud Scandal

A reporter was thrown out of the Fed’s annual Jackson Hole conference and hit with a criminal trespass notice for asking Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook questions about her mortgage fraud scandal.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, Governor of the Bank of England, President of the European Central Bank and others were present at the Fed’s annual press conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on Friday.

CNBC reported on Lisa Cook’s attendance at the annual conference in Jackson Hole.

Federal housing regulator Bill Pulte has produced documents alleging Lisa Cook committed mortgage fraud – specifically occupancy fraud – when she lied about her out-of-state Atlanta condo being her ‘primary residence.’

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.

Pulte dropped more receipts on Friday morning as Lisa Cook attended the annual conference in Wyoming.

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Adam Schiff, Facing Criminal Investigation, Forms Legal Defense Fund

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who abused his positions on the House Intelligence Committee and the January 6 Committee to pursue political foes, has formed a legal defense fund to deal with his own mounting legal woes.

The New York Times reported Tuesday:

As a member of the U.S. House, Mr. Schiff led congressional inquiries into Mr. Trump during his first term in the White House. He served as the lead impeachment manager in Mr. Trump’s first impeachment and then on the committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

…

Paperwork for the “Senator Schiff Legal Defense Fund” filed with the Internal Revenue Service is dated Aug. 14, records show.

“It’s clear that Donald Trump and his MAGA allies will continue weaponizing the justice process to attack Senator Schiff for holding this corrupt administration accountable,” said Marisol Samayoa, a spokeswoman for Mr. Schiff. “This fund will ensure he can fight back against these baseless smears while continuing to do his job.”

As ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, Schiff leaked information that he hoped would implicate then-President Donald Trump in so-called “Russia collusion,” often lying to the public about it.

Schiff also tried to suppress findings by then-chairman Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) into the origins of the Russia investigation, and targeted Kash Patel, a key investigator — who now is the head of the FBI.

When Schiff became chairman of the committee, he launched an investigation that would lead to the first Trump impeachment, lying to the public about his staff’s contact with a so-called “whistleblower.” Schiff promised the whistleblower would testify, then reneged on that promise and invented a false right for the whistleblower not to be named in public. He conducted hearings in secret, leaking reports about what was said that often turned out to be the opposite of what actually happened, and suppressing contrary testimony.

The final House Impeachment Report revealed that Schiff had spied on Nunes, on Patel, and on Trump’s attorney. He failed to defend the report at the House Judiciary Committee, sending a staffer instead.

After failing to convince the Senate to convict Trump, Schiff went on to serve on the one-sided January 6 Committee, which protected then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and again held secret hearings in which witnesses had few due process rights. The committee later destroyed its documents to cover up its work.

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Trump Calls on Biden-Appointed Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to Resign After FHFA Director Pulte Sends Criminal Referral to DOJ for Mortgage Fraud

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.

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Report: Adam Schiff Got Below-Market Mortgage Rate on Potomac Home After 16 Years of Fraudulently Claiming It as Primary Residence

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), longtime nemesis of President Donald Trump, is enjoying a rock bottom 3 percent mortgage rate on both his Maryland and California homes since refinancing in 2020, newly released documents examined by the New York Post reveal.

That, according to the Post report, is below the average 30-year mortgage interest rate in 2020 of 3.10% for primary residences in the U.S., with secondary residences usually subject to rates up to 0.5% higher.

The rates in question are newsworthy because of a Department of Justice (DOJ) criminal investigation underway into the senator’s home financing. As Breitbart News has reported, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) accuses the junior senator of potential mortgage fraud for claiming two homes as primary residences for more than a decade to achieve lower mortgage rates and reduced taxes.

According to DOJ sources, a grand jury in Maryland is currently evaluating a criminal indictment against the former 12-term congressman.

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DECLASSIFIED: FBI Was Investigating 19 Clinton Foundation Bank Accounts For Campaign Finance Fraud Before DOJ Shut Down Probe

A newly declassified FBI internal timeline reveals the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office was investigating 19 Clinton Foundation bank accounts for ‘campaign finance fraud’ in 2016 but the Justice Department shut down the probe.

Thanks to Judicial Watch, the American public was made aware of Hillary Clinton’s private email server.

Hillary Clinton conducted official business on a non-government server so she could hide her Clinton Foundation pay-to-play while she was head of the Department of State.

According to emails obtained by Judicial Watch, Hillary Clinton gave preferential treatment to Clinton Foundation donors while she was Secretary of State.

The Gateway Pundit previously reported that a smoking-gun email from Obama’s Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates explicitly ordered FBI agents to shut down a criminal corruption probe into the Clinton Foundation.

Then-Deputy AG Sally Yates directly instructed the FBI to ‘shut down’ the Clinton Foundation investigation, effectively granting the Clintons immunity from further scrutiny during the 2016 election cycle.

Salky Yates ordered investigators to “Shut it down!”

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Corrupt Democrat AG Caught Committing Fraud

New York Attorney General Letitia James is facing serious allegations of mortgage fraud—claims that could carry criminal liability and continue undermine her credibility as the state’s top law enforcement official.

The allegations come from Bill Pulte, the newly confirmed Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), who says James may have falsified mortgage and property records over decades to secure favorable loan terms.

Pulte, confirmed to lead the FHFA in March 2025 after a bipartisan Senate vote, now oversees the regulation of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks—institutions central to U.S. housing finance.

The Department of Justice maintains a conviction rate of roughly 98%, meaning it is exceedingly rare for prosecutors to pursue a case they believe they cannot win. That standard makes the current investigation especially significant. 

The fact that it is being pursued so seriously suggests a clear necessity for scrutiny, supported by substantial evidence warranting federal attention.

According to Pulte, one of the most significant examples involves a home James purchased in Norfolk, Virginia, in August 2023. At the time, she was serving as New York’s attorney general—a role that legally requires her to maintain her primary residence in New York.

Pulte alleges that James granted an associate, Shamice Thompson-Hairston, power of attorney to designate the Norfolk property as her “principal residence.” 

Mortgage applications for the property reportedly list her intent to live there, which can qualify borrowers for lower interest rates than those available for second homes or investment properties. 

If James never intended to reside there, this could constitute a false statement to a financial institution.

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Democrat Mayor Caught in Fraud—And She’s Not Alone

Corruption in Democrat-run cities is sadly familiar, but the federal indictment of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is historic and deeply troubling.

A grand jury has charged Cantrell with dozens of felony counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, and making false statements. 

This marks the first time in New Orleans’ history that a sitting mayor has faced criminal prosecution, an unprecedented low point for a city already plagued by crime and mismanagement.

The indictment paints a picture of systematic abuse of office. At the center of the case is Cantrell’s relationship with Jeffrey Paul Vappie, a member of her executive protection unit who prosecutors say developed an “intimate and personal relationship” with her in late 2021. 

According to federal prosecutors, Cantrell and Vappie knowingly devised a scheme to defraud the city, with Vappie falsely claiming to be “on duty” while accompanying the mayor on at least 14 trips outside Louisiana, including international travel. 

These trips, totaling over $70,000 in taxpayer-funded expenses, were not legitimate city business—they were personal excursions disguised as official duties.

The indictment goes further, charging Cantrell with a dozen counts of wire fraud. Prosecutors allege she obtained money and property “by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.” 

In plain terms, Cantrell is accused of using her office to enrich herself and those close to her at the expense of the taxpayers. 

If an ordinary citizen stole $70,000 from the government, they would face years in prison. The law should not bend simply because the accused sits in city hall.

Equally alarming are the obstruction-related charges. Prosecutors allege that Cantrell conspired to obstruct justice, made false statements, and even delivered a false declaration before a grand jury. 

These are not minor lapses—they are serious felonies aimed at concealing misconduct and undermining the justice system itself. A public official who lies under oath not only betrays the people but attacks the very foundation of accountability in government.

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Report: “1 In 7 Scientific Papers is Fake, Suggests Study That Author Calls ‘Wildly Nonsystematic’”

In 2009, a now highly-cited study found an average of around 2% of scientists admit to have falsified, fabricated, or modified data at least once in their career. 

Fifteen years on, a new analysis tried to quantify how much science is fake – but the real number may remain elusive, some observers said. 

The analysis, published before peer review on the Open Science Framework on September 24, found one in seven scientific papers may be at least partly fake. The author, James Heathers, a long-standing scientific sleuth, arrived at that figure by averaging data from 12 existing studies — collectively containing a sample of around 75,000 studies — that estimate the volume of problematic scientific output. 

“I have been reading for years and still continue to read this 2% figure which is ubiquitous,” Heathers, an affiliated researcher in psychology at Linnaeus University in Vaxjo, Sweden, said. “The only minor problem with it is that it’s 20 years out of date,” he added, noting that the last dataset that went into the 2009 study was from 2005. 

So Heathers tried to come up with a more up-to-date estimate of scholarly literature containing signs of irregularities. “A lot has changed in 20 years,” he said. “It’s been a persistent irritant to me for a period of years now to see this figure cited over and over and over again.”

Past studies predominantly focussed on asking researchers directly if they had engaged in dishonest research practices, Heathers said, “which I think is a very bad approach to being able to do this.” But he noted that it was probably the only method available to use when the research was conducted. 

“I think it’s pretty naive to ask people who are faking research whether or not they’ll honestly answer the question that they were dishonest previously,” Heathers said. 

Heathers’ study pulls data from 12 different analyses from  the social sciences, medicine, biology, and other fields of research. All those studies have one thing in common: The authors of each used various online tools to estimate the amount of fakery taking place in a set of papers. 

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Fraud Hunters: Sniffing Out Bogus Science

Molecular biologist Mike Rossner, who has committed his life to following the science, now finds himself playing an unexpected if urgent role – exposing the fraud of his fellow scientists. 

Rossner is part of a network of experts that sniff out researchers who intentionally or recklessly fabricate, falsify, or plagiarize evidence. Rossner, a consultant specializing in identifying manipulated and duplicated images in journal papers – a telltale sign of deceit – has been dismayed by his findings at U.S. research centers. Scientists often have deleted the data underlying the images, making misconduct harder to prove and casting doubt on the validity of the research. 

“Science is about finding the truth, and an inaccurate representation of what was actually observed means that you are not representing the truth,” said Rossner, a former managing editor of The Journal of Cell Biology. “This is harmful to the progress of science and to our society that depends on it.”

In recent years, research misconduct has tainted the country’s most venerable universities, including Harvard and Johns Hopkins. To date, more than 20 Nobel Prize winners have had papers retracted by the journals that published them, a move often associated with misconduct, according to Retraction Watch. The watchdog group says that retractions worldwide increased fivefold in the last decade.

That a profession with noble intentions finds itself beset by a surprisingly high incidence of not just honest errors but fraud – estimated at about 1% to 2% of all research papers – is a complicated story. Experts say it reflects a breakdown in ethics by scientists under intense pressure to frequently publish to keep their jobs. This problem was highlighted by a recent article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences about the growth of clandestine “paper mills,” which exploit the “publish or perish” culture of research. The operators of mills produce low-quality and fake papers – giving authorship to scientists at a price – that are published in “predatory journals” without peer review, fueling the growth of retractions and fraud.

The problem runs deeper. Lax oversight at some universities and research centers, which are required by federal agencies to police themselves and yet depend on the grants that published research brings in, allows wrongdoing to go unchecked. 

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