Watchdog: Trump Official Leading Fed Governor Firing Campaign Appears to Be Violating Own Ethics Agreement to Do It

Washington D.C. – Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook has moved to sue the Trump administration for trying to fire her over unproven mortgage fraud allegations as part of a transparently political effort to grab more power and replace her with a Trump stooge. The allegations against Cook were leveled by Republican megadonor turned FHFA Director Bill Pulte. A review by Accountable.US first reported by Slate found Pulte appears to be in violation of his own ethics agreement by potentially carrying out the political smear campaign using a controversial data analysis firm from which he’s reported income. 

At Issue: Earlier this month Director Pulte admitted his FHFA used data analysis firm Palantir in its mortgage fraud investigations while discussing the agency’s politically-motivated probe into Lisa Cook. While Pulte previously claimed he would divest from interests that pose potential conflicts of interest, our review of his latest ethics disclosure found that the Director reported up to $50,000 in capital gains income from Palantir Technologies. This comes as Pulte has also touted similar investigations into Trump’s perceived political enemies Sen. Adam Schiff and NY AG Leticia James, raising questions about Palantir’s role in those probes. A known partisan, Pulte has given over $348,000 to federal Republican and conservative campaign committees since the 2024 cycle.

Accountable.US Executive Director Tony Carrk: “President Trump’s latest power grab appears to be a transparent scheme to rig interest rates in favor of his personal business interests and his wealthy donors while risking economic calamity for working Americans. Republican megadonor turned attack dog FHFA Director Pulte jumped at the chance to do the president’s dirty work, possibly using a controversial data analysis firm he’s invested in to smear the character of a Federal Reserve Governor, all to install a Trump crony. Why is Director Pulte seemingly continuing to profit off the President’s political smear campaigns when he claimed he’d divest from such conflicts of interest? Pulte should get his own ethics house in order before casting stones at others.” 

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