mortgage fraud

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3 Trump Cabinet Members May Have Mortgage Issues

ProPublica reports on multiple primary-residence loans, the same issue used against foes

(Newser) - The Trump administration has been going after political foes with accusations of mortgage fraud , to which a Fed governor , a US senator, and the attorney general of New York can attest. But an investigation by ProPublica finds that three members of President Trump's own Cabinet might be similarly accused....

Report: DOJ Launches Fraud Probe of Fed Governor

Lisa Cook investigation follows Trump-backed claims of mortgage application fraud

(Newser) - The Justice Department has launched a fraud probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, following accusations that she falsified documents to secure a mortgage, sources tell the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal . The investigation, still in the early stages, involves the issuing of subpoenas and focuses...

Trump to Fed Governor Lisa Cook: You're Fired

Move is a first in central bank's history

(Newser) - President Trump announced late Monday that he's ousting Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, citing allegations that she misrepresented her primary residence on mortgage paperwork. The claims, raised by Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte, center on Cook's 2021 mortgage applications for homes in Michigan and Atlanta—...

Trump Says Fed Governor 'Must Resign'
Fed Governor
Rejects Call by
Trump to Quit
updated
Aug 20, 2025 5:52 PM CDT

Fed Governor Rejects Call by Trump to Quit

Federal Housing Finance Agency chief accused Lisa Cook of mortgage fraud

(Newser) - President Trump is calling for the resignation of a governor of the Federal Reserve after the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency accused her of mortgage fraud. "Cook must resign, now!!!" Trump posted Wednesday on Truth Social , referencing a Bloomberg story about Fed governor Lisa Cook. Late...

Manafort Case Gets Tossed
Manafort Case Gets Tossed
Dec 18, 2019 6:40 PM CST

Manafort Case Gets Tossed

So a hedge against a possible Trump pardon is lost

(Newser) - A New York judge threw out state mortgage fraud charges against Paul Manafort, ruling Wednesday that the criminal case was too similar to one that has already landed President Trump's former campaign chairman in federal prison, the AP reports. The ruling was a blow to what had widely been...

Banks Pay for Mortgage Abuse—With Rubber Checks

Company handling settlement didn't deposit money with the bank

(Newser) - It took years for homeowners to get even the relatively small checks afforded them in a $3.6 billion settlement with some of the country's biggest banks over mortgage abuses—and when they finally arrived this week, many of them promptly bounced, the New York Times reports. "Is...

US Sues Bank of America for $1B in 'Hustle' Scheme

Prosecutors says bank foisted bum mortgages on Fannie, Freddie

(Newser) - The Justice Department has filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Bank of America over an alleged mortgage scheme known as the "Hustle" invented by its Countrywide unit. According to Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara, Bank of America and Countrywide developed a procedure to rapidly generate thousands of toxic loans...

Feds Sue Deutsche Bank Over Reckless Mortgage Lies

$1B suit may be first of many

(Newser) - The federal government is suing Deutsche Bank for $1 billion over shoddy mortgages that cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The suit accuses the lender of lying to the government while arranging federal insurance on mortgages that it had recklessly approved for poor credit risks, reports the Los Angeles ...

Anonymous: Leaked BofA Emails Show Mortgage Scheme

Bank denies plot drive up costs

(Newser) - A trove of leaked documents apparently reveals that Bank of America may have been involved in a scheme to bilk homeowners—a claim the bank rigorously denies. Hacker group Anonymous, which leaked the documents, says that more damning information is on the way, reports Business Insider . The emails, which allegedly...

Investors Sue Countrywide Over 'Massive Fraud'

Their triple-A-rated securities are now junk, they claim

(Newser) - Investors are suing Bank of America’s Countrywide mortgage unit, claiming they were fraudulently led into purchasing supposedly triple-A-rated mortgage-backed securities that turned out to be junk. Between 2005 and 2007, the investors bought hundreds of millions of dollars of securities that were supposed to be “conservative” and “...

Goldman Pays $550M to Settle SEC Fraud Case

It's the largest such fine in history

(Newser) - Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay $550 million to settle civil fraud charges that accused the Wall Street giant of misleading buyers of mortgage-related investments. The deal calls for Goldman to pay the Securities and Exchange Commission fines of $300 million. The rest of the money will go to compensate...

FBI Plans Massive Sweep of Mortgage Fraudsters

Hundreds of arrests expected next week

(Newser) - FBI agents will fan out across the country next week and arrest hundreds of shady lenders who duped people into taking mortgages they couldn't afford, reports the Financial Times . The crackdown on mortgage fraud will go after companies that misled people about their loans and potential rescue programs, or that...

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