A federal probe is heating up as authorities explore whether U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) defrauded the government by misstating his residency on mortgage paperwork stretching back over two decades.
The U.S. attorney’s office of Maryland has taken a lead on examining whether Schiff committed a crime when he allegedly claimed his home residence in-state while serving as a member of the U.S. House from California. A federal housing agency referred Schiff to the U.S. attorney general’s office last month.
Now, Trump administration officials say that a full-fledged criminal investigation of Schiff is underway, according to Fox News’ Laura Ingraham. It will consider “possible charges including mortgage fraud,” she said Tuesday evening.
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and turned over documents suggesting Schiff, who served 12 terms in the House before winning his Senate seat in 2024, “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments” on a second residence he purchased in Potomac, Md.
Pulte referred the matter to Bondi after claiming in the letter to have found “multiple instances” of questionable paperwork by Schiff from 2003 to 2019, at the end of which he began listing his California home as his primary residence.
At the same time, Schiff, 65, was also found to be taking a homeowner’s tax deduction on his California property, an allowance for year-round residents, according to Pulte.
“Mr. Schiff appears to have falsified records in order to receive favorable loan terms, and also appears to have been aware of the financial benefits of a primary residence mortgage when compared to a secondary residence mortgage as a spokesperson in 2023 told the media outlet CNN that, ‘Adam’s California and Maryland addresses have been listed as primary residences for loan purposes because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property,’” the letter explained.
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Schiff has previously defended his living arrangements, according to an interview played by Ingraham.
“I think just about every member of Congress has a residence in their state and a residence back in D.C. since we’re in session much of the week, and people make a family decision where they’re gonna have their kids. But our principle residence, our primary residence has always been in California, always has been, and always will be,” he said when asked by another outlet about the allegation.
Schiff did not respond to Ingraham’s request for comment, but a spokesman for the senator told CNN in 2023, “Adam’s California and Maryland addresses have been listed as primary residences for loan purposes because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property.”