Warren probes federal housing director over alleged obstruction

US Senator Elizabeth Warren has urged Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte to cooperate with a congressional watchdog's investigation into his referrals of alleged mortgage fraud. In a letter seen by Reuters, Warren stated her belief that the FHFA is obstructing inquiries from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a nonpartisan government agency.

Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, described such obstruction as illegal and potentially harmful to taxpayer protection and congressional oversight. Critics have accused Pulte, who took the helm in March 2025, of politicizing the FHFA by publicly referring mortgage fraud allegations to the Department of Justice against individuals perceived as foes of President Donald Trump. Those accused have denied the allegations.

A spokesperson for the FHFA, created in response to the 2008 housing crisis to oversee mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, stated that the agency "always engages with GAO inquiries" and "has responded to every one of GAO's inquiries received this past fiscal year." Pulte has previously defended his referrals as efforts to combat misconduct and fraud in mortgage markets.

Last year, Warren and other Democratic senators asked the GAO to investigate Pulte's conduct due to concerns about politically motivated referrals and misuse of government resources. The FHFA's recent decision to cut funding to its Office of Inspector General (OIG) has also drawn scrutiny. The OIG's top official warned that these cuts will necessitate staff reductions and impede investigations into misconduct. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jack Reed, also of the Senate Banking Committee, have requested Pulte testify at a hearing.