Newly obtained documents reviewed by Reuters undermine the central allegation that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook committed mortgage fraud — the sole justification cited by former President Donald Trump for firing her from the Fed Board last week.
The accusation, first raised by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, claimed that Cook simultaneously designated two properties — her Michigan home and an Atlanta condominium — as “primary residences” in order to secure favorable loan terms. That allegation triggered a Justice Department probe and was used by Trump to argue she had engaged in conduct unbecoming a Fed governor. There is also a condo in Massachusetts that they are now adding to the complaint.
But a 2021 loan estimate for the Atlanta property shows Cook explicitly declared it as a “vacation home.” Additional disclosures on her 2021 SF-86 security clearance form list the condo as a “second home,” and county tax records confirm she never sought a primary-residence exemption for the Atlanta address. These records directly contradict the claim that she treated the properties as her primary residence. She previously taught at Michigan State University and Harvard University and is originally from Georgia.
Legal experts say the new evidence makes it far harder to substantiate mortgage fraud charges. Documentation indicating that Cook consistently listed the Atlanta property as a second home makes it difficult to claim she misrepresented her intent to the lender, according to a housing law expert cited by Reuters.
Cook, a key voice on the Fed’s interest rate policy, has denied wrongdoing and called her removal a politically motivated attack. The Justice Department’s investigation remains ongoing, but these revelations are likely to intensify scrutiny of the decision to oust her — and could set up a legal fight over her firing.
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