In a recent development, documents concerning Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook's mortgage on an Atlanta property could potentially complicate allegations of real estate fraud.
The Trump administration's Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated an investigation into these allegations in late August. As streiff from RedState previously reported, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte has referred potential criminal activity involving Governor Cook to Attorney General Pam Bondi for further investigation and appropriate action.
Pulte's letter stated, "According to mortgage documents obtained by U. S. Federal Housing, it appears an individual, Ms. Lisa DeNell Cook, has falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, potentially committing mortgage fraud under the criminal statute."
This development follows a September 9 decision by a federal judge appointed by President Biden to impose a temporary restraining order on President Trump's August dismissal of Cook from the independent banking board. As reported by RedState,
Trump dismissed Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook in August for causethe cause being she is under investigation by the DOJ for several instances of alleged mortgage fraud. However, a Biden-appointed judge effectively countered this action, stating that Trump could not proceed with the dismissal.
Federal Judge Jia Cobb issued a temporary restraining order in the case nearly two weeks after Cook sued Trump to prevent her removal from the central bank. Trump had announced on August 25 that he was dismissing Cook due to suggestions by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte that she had committed mortgage fraud in connection with documents she signed for two residential properties she owns in Georgia and Michigan.
The bank loan paperwork reveals some intriguing details. A bank document from Cook's credit union concerning her imminent home purchase appears to indicate that she did not intend to use it as a primary residence, but rather as a vacation home, according to Reuters.
The document, dated May 28, 2021, was issued to Cook by her credit union in the weeks before she completed the purchase and shows that she had informed the lender that the Atlanta property would not be her primary residence.
This document seems to contradict other documentation that Cooks critics have cited in support of their claims that she committed mortgage fraud by reporting two different homes as her primary residence, according to two independent real-estate experts.
NBC News also reviewed the loan document and reported that Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook declared in financial forms that her Atlanta property would be used as a vacation home and not her primary residence. The loan summary from the Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union in May 2021 reads: Property Use: Vacation Home.
Furthermore, public records in Fulton County, Georgia, reviewed by NBC News show that Cook did not seek any tax exemptions available for a primary residence.
However, another document obtained by NBC News, Cooks questionnaire for national security positions, which was submitted to the Biden administration in late 2021 and later the Senate, contains a question that reads: Please list all of your interests in real property, including additional homes, vacation homes, rental properties, and interests in trusts that may hold property. Cook responded by writing 2nd home followed by the address of the Atlanta property.
At present, it remains uncertain how the loan summary and federal government questionnaire filings will impact the legal case on Cook's dismissal or the DOJ investigation into potential criminal activity. As this is an ongoing story, RedState will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
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