August 21, 2025

So there’s more on the attempt to discredit Lisa Cook of the Fed:

A Justice Department official is set to probe Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook after she was accused by a member of President Donald Trump’s administration of committing mortgage fraud, according to a letter sent Thursday to Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

The letter, seen by CNN, was written by Ed Martin, a lawyer at the department who’s tasked with investigating mortgage fraud. Martin said the situation “requires further examination.”

In a letter dated August 15, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte said that Cook claimed two properties — a home in Michigan and a condo in Atlanta — as her primary home addresses. On Thursday, he said on social media the administration is “probing a 3rd property owned by Cook.”

Pulte, a vocal Trump ally, said in an interview with Bloomberg earlier on Thursday that he looked into Cook, a then-President Joe Biden appointee, based off a tip. He added that his agency has used artificial intelligence software from Palantir to track potential mortgage fraud.

In his letter, Martin also said: “I encourage you to remove Ms. Cook from your Board. Do it today before it is too late!”

“After all, no American thinks it is appropriate that she serve during this time with a cloud hanging over her,” he said.

This keeps getting more mysterious. This was started because of a tip? How did the tipster know? Does Pulte actually have copies of the documents, or what?

And Martin, the Justice Department guy. I really have to question the propriety of him writing “I encourage you to remove Ms. Cook from your Board. Do it today before it is too late!” at any time, let alone before “further examination”. That’s not what Justice Departments do, at least not in civilized countries.