Washington, D.C. – Democracy Forward filed suit today against the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), asking the District Court for the District of Columbia to order the agency to comply with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and disclose information related to the politicization of the administration of justice.
In recent months, President Trump has repeatedly called for the prosecution of perceived opponents and obstacles to the expansion of his power. FHFA Director William J. Pulte—a Trump-Vance appointee—has also made highly publicized “criminal referrals” to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) against several prominent public officials, including Senator Adam Schiff, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. This suggests that the nation’s chief housing finance regulator is inappropriately using his authority to access the mortgage records of the president’s perceived opponents in an attempt to support politicized prosecutions.
These referrals were then publicly promoted by Pulte, President Trump, and others on television and social media, including the release of mortgage documents and signatures. President Trump used these referrals to demand prosecutions or resignations of these officials—demonstrating a coordinated attempt to weaponize the justice system for political retaliation.
“We cannot allow government agencies to be used as political weapons to intimidate or punish public servants,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “When government officials misuse their power to target perceived opponents, they don’t just violate the law—they undermine the fabric of our democracy. The American people deserve transparency, accountability, and a justice system that is devoid of partisan retaliation.”
Democracy Forward submitted five separate FOIA requests that remain unanswered, despite the deadline required by law. The FOIA requests aim to obtain:
- Communications between FHFA and DOJ about these criminal referrals
- Emails and messages sent by Pulte referencing these officials
- Any requests Pulte made to Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac for peoples’ mortgage records
- Pulte communications with White House officials, including President Trump
- Records showing the FHFA Inspector General’s role in gathering or demanding mortgage documents
The lawsuit seeks to determine whether a federal housing regulator was used as a political weapon to target Trump-Vance opponents—and whether the government is withholding the evidence.
The case is Democracy Forward Foundation v. Federal Housing Finance Agency, and the legal team in this case includes Daniel McGrath, Anisha Hindocha, and Robin Thurston.
Read the complaint here.