Rep. Eric Swalwell has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte of secretly pulling private mortgage records and turning them into criminal referrals to the Department of Justice, alleging violations of the Privacy Act and the First Amendment and seeking damages and court orders to undo the referrals.
The complaint says Pulte used his access to government-sponsored databases to gather mortgage details tied to Swalwell and other Democratic figures, then sent those findings to prosecutors in a way the suit calls improper and politically motivated. This is a direct challenge to how federal data is handled and who gets to decide when private information becomes fodder for criminal probes. The suit claims the FHFA overstepped any lawful authority it might have had.
“Today I have filed a civil lawsuit against FHA Director Bill Pulte for violating the Privacy Act and First Amendment,” Swalwell said in a statement. “Director Pulte has combed through private records of political opponents. To silence them.”
The filing paints a picture of an agency official allegedly turning routine data searches into a tool for targeting critics, saying Pulte “abused his position” to generate what the complaint calls manufactured mortgage fraud claims. The suit accuses him of using government systems not to protect housing markets but to construct narratives aimed at particular public officials. If true, those actions would raise serious constitutional and statutory problems.
The Justice Department opened a probe into Swalwell in mid-November over alleged mortgage fraud tied to his D.C. property, according to the lawsuit. Pulte’s referral to prosecutors reportedly stated that Swalwell had misrepresented his primary residence on mortgage paperwork to secure better loan terms. The complaint insists the referral twisted facts and omitted context to make an ordinary mortgage matter look like criminal conduct.
“The allegations in Pulte’s referral are patently false,” the suit argued, calling the referral a “gross mischaracterization of reality.” Swalwell’s team says the referral relied on selective use of records and presented a distorted timeline. The civil case seeks to force a retraction of the referral and to block further dissemination of the material.
Swalwell told officials that the exposure of his personal data has real consequences beyond headlines and politics, saying the disclosures have damaged his reputation and forced him to spend time and money defending himself. He also pointed to safety concerns tied to his family and household information being circulated publicly. Those claims are central to the damages and injunctive relief he requests.
“widespread publication of information about the home where his wife and young children reside has exposed him to heightened security risks and caused him significant anguish and distress.”
The lawsuit also spotlights other referrals the complaint links to the same pattern, naming public figures seen as vocal critics of President Trump as examples, including New York’s attorney general, a California senator, and a member of the Federal Reserve Board. The filing argues these instances show a broader pattern of targeting that goes beyond coincidence or routine oversight. Notably, a judge recently dismissed the indictment against one of the named officials.
Swalwell’s legal team frames the conduct as purposeful and chilling, arguing it reflects an attempt to use government machinery to silence dissent. The complaint says Pulte’s “unlawful actions” were intentional and designed to intimidate political opponents rather than to serve legitimate enforcement purposes. The congressman is pressing for court findings that the FHFA violated federal law and for orders that would undo the agency’s referrals.
The suit seeks money damages, a legal declaration that the agency broke the law, and an injunction forcing FHFA to retract its referral and stop any similar disclosures. Pulte and the Federal Housing Finance Agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The case now heads to federal court in Washington, where the legal fight will test limits on agency access to private mortgage records and the protections those records enjoy under law.
