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Sen Adam Schiff under federal criminal investigation for alleged mortgage fraud violations

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Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is under criminal investigation for mortgage fraud, a Trump administration source told Fox News.

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Fox News host Laura Ingraham broke the news on Tuesday night on «The Ingraham Angle,» saying the source said a criminal investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland on possible charges involving mortgage fraud.

The investigation comes a month after a story broke about the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sending a criminal referral to the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleging that Schiff, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms.

In a 2011 affidavit signed by the then California congressman, Schiff certified that a property in Montgomery County, Maryland, is his primary residence.

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HOW TRUMP’S ‘NO SHRINKING VIOLETS’ DOJ IS DIGGING IN ON SCHIFF’S MORTGAGE DEALINGS AS LEGAL PERIL LOOMS

U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., speaks at a news conference introducing the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 on April 30, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Schiff also owns a condominium in Burbank, California, which he has also claimed as his primary residence as recently as 2023, during his campaign for Senate.

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Schiff’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.

The director of the UFHFA sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in May citing alleged misconduct by Schiff.

COULD SENATOR ADAM SCHIFF REALLY GO TO JAIL OVER ALLEGED MORTGAGE FRAUD?

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Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before Senate

Attorney General Pam Bondi was notified in May of possible misconduct by Schiff. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

«Based on media reports, Mr. Adam B. Schiff has, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments from 2003-2019 for a Potomac, Maryland-based property,» FHFA Director William Pulte wrote in the letter. «As regulator of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, we take very seriously allegations of mortgage fraud or other criminal activity. Such misconduct jeopardizes the safety and soundness of FHFA’s regulated entities and the security and stability of the U.S. mortgage market.» 

Pulte later received a memo from the Fannie Mae financial crimes investigations concluding that Schiff allegedly engaged in «a sustained pattern of possible occupancy misrepresentation» on five Fannie Mae loans, Fox News has learned. 

Schiff and his wife purchased a home in Potomac, Maryland, in 2003 for $870,000, according to the letter. They entered into a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage agreement for $610,000 at a rate of 5.625% over a term of 30 years, asserting the property would be their primary and principal residence. 

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Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff

Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is under investigation for mortgage fraud, according to a Trump administration source. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The letter said they reaffirmed that the Maryland home was their primary residence in mortgage refinancing filings in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013, despite Schiff being an elected official representing the state of California at the same time. 

Fox News obtained a copy of the 2011 affidavit showing Schiff signed certifying that the Maryland house is his primary residence. 

Pulte said Schiff and his wife did not list the Maryland home as their secondary residence until 2020. 

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Over the same time frame, Schiff took a homeowner’s tax exemption on a condo that he owns in Burbank, California, also claiming that home as his primary residence for a $7,000 reduction off of the 1% property tax, Pulte wrote, citing media reports. 

In 2023, the letter notes, a spokesperson for Schiff asserted that, «Adam’s primary residence is Burbank, California, and will remain so when he wins the Senate seat.»

The federal housing official wrote that he believes Schiff’s alleged misconduct could be violations of federal criminal codes banning wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and false statements to financial institutions. 

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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,» Pulte wrote.

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According to the letter, a spokesperson for Schiff in 2023 told 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.» 

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Last year, the letter notes, a federal jury convicted Marilyn Mosby of making false statements on a mortgage application for a Florida condominium when she was the Baltimore City state’s attorney.  

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

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Biden’s doctor thought cognitive tests were ‘meaningless,’ ex-aide Bruce Reed told investigators

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Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor previously dismissed cognitive tests as «meaningless,» ex-Biden administration aide Bruce Reed told House investigators on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the proceedings.

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Reed, who served as White House deputy chief of staff for policy, is the ninth member of former President Joe Biden’s inner circle to sit down with House Oversight Committee lawyers.

A source familiar with his interview told Fox News Digital that Reed attributed Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate performance against then-candidate Donald Trump to the former president’s stutter, a condition that’s been well-documented and Biden himself has publicly acknowledged. 

But his meandering and seemingly tired demeanor on stage with Trump alarmed both Democrats and media pundits, who saw it as a glaring sign of Biden’s advanced age. It precipitated both a public and private push by left-wing lawmakers to get Biden to drop out of the race — which he did in July 2024.

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COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’

The House Oversight Committee questioned President Joe Biden’s physician Kevin O’Connor last month in its probe into Biden’s mental decline.  (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

When asked whether public concerns about Biden’s mental acuity were legitimate, however, the source told Fox News Digital that Reed said he believes Americans should not have had any concerns about the ex-president’s mental faculties.

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Reed also told investigators that «the president’s communications team anticipated that the issue of a cognitive test would likely be raised» in Biden’s interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos following the debate.

«Mr. Reed further explained that President Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, dismissed cognitive tests as ‘meaningless,’» the source said.

O’Connor was among the first former White House officials summoned by House investigators, and sat down with them last month after being compelled via subpoena. 

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But his sit-down lasted less than an hour, with the doctor opting to invoke the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering all questions but his name. His lawyers said at the time that was due to concerns about violating doctor-patient confidentiality. 

In his own interview Tuesday, Reed also defended the Biden 2024 campaign’s preference to hold the debate earlier than typical for a presidential cycle, the source said.

Bruce Reed at left, Joe Biden waving

Former deputy chief of staff for policy Bruce Reed is the ninth ex-Biden administration aide to appear before the House Oversight Committee. (Getty Images)

«During his interview, Mr. Reed stated that the decision to hold the debate early was a deliberate strategy to get ahead of early voting and the Olympics. He emphasized that the campaign’s push for the early debate was unrelated to concerns about President Biden’s age,» the source said.

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Excerpts of Reed’s opening statement to investigators, obtained by Fox News Digital via a second source familiar with the interview, show he emphatically defended Biden’s cognitive abilities.

«While I can only speak to my own observations, I had the benefit of working with President Biden nearly every day of his presidency. Despite his age, President Biden maintained an unrelenting work ethic, embraced complex policy issues, and approached decisions with diligence and deliberation,» Reed said, according to the source.

LONGTIME BIDEN AIDE SAYS HE STOOD TO EARN UP TO $8M HAD PRESIDENT WON RE-ELECTION

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Reed also described Biden as «a demanding boss who routinely grilled staff members on a topic until he reached the limits of our knowledge so he could judge whether to have confidence in our advice,» though «that didn’t mean he’d take it.»

«From the first days in the White House to the last, President Biden governed the same way he’d gotten there, by trusting his own values and instincts,» Reed said, according to the source.

«There is no tougher test than the presidency: President Biden asked tough questions, made tough decisions, and led his country well in challenging times for the nation and the world.»

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House Oversight and Accountability committee Chairman James Comer is leading the probe (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is probing whether Biden’s senior aides worked to cover up evidence of mental decline in the former president, and whether that meant Biden was not making the final decision on executive matters signed by autopen.

Of particular interest to Comer is the myriad of clemency orders Biden signed in the latter half of his presidency, though the former president told The New York Times last month that he was behind every decision.

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His allies have also dismissed Comer’s probe as purely political.

Fox News Digital reached out to Reed’s counsel and lawyers for O’Connor for comment but did not hear back by press time.

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Italian law would regulate gender transition treatment for minors

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The Italian government, under new legislation, would tighten controls on the supply of gender transition medical treatment for minors, according to a draft law.

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The law was passed by Italy’s cabinet late on Monday but is still subject to approval from parliament. The government said the law was needed «to protect the health of minors» and introduce «effective data monitoring.»

The measure would regulate medications such as puberty blockers and feminizing or masculinizing hormones for people under the age of 18 who are experiencing gender dysphoria.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REFINES EEOC APPROACH TO TRANSGENDER WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS

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The law was passed by Italy’s cabinet late on Monday but is still subject to approval from parliament. (Getty Images)

Under the bill, these medications would only be dispensed following protocols that have not yet been drafted by the health ministry and, pending that, after approval by a national ethics committee of pediatricians.

The measure also establishes a national registry at the Italian Medicines Agency to monitor «the correct use of [these] medicines» and collect the medical histories of each transgender person undergoing treatment.

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The draft law has sparked protests from transgender rights advocates.

USA FENCING MINNESOTA DIVISION TO ONLY SANCTION MIXED EVENTS IN RESPONSE TO TRANS BAN

Rome's annual LGBTQ+ pride march

FILE PHOTO: A person attends the annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade in Rome, Italy, June 14, 2025.  (REUTERS/Yara Nardi)

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has described herself as an opponent of what she and her allies call the LGBTQ+ lobby and «gender ideology.»

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A child touches the LGBT flag at a protest rally in Milan

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has described herself as an opponent of what she and her allies call the LGBTQ+ lobby and «gender ideology.» (Reuters)

Meloni’s government has made it more difficult for gay couples with children to both be recognized as legal parents and has made it illegal for any couple to go to another country to have a baby through surrogacy.

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The draft bill could still be rejected or amended by parliament, although it is likely to be approved, given that Meloni’s coalition has a solid majority and backs its objectives.

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Reuters contributed to this report.



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Steve Witkoff llegó a Moscú a dos días del plazo impuesto por Trump para que Rusia detenga su ofensiva en Ucrania

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El enviado especial de Trump llegó a Rusia

El enviado especial del presidente Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, llegó este miércoles a Moscú, en una visita diplomática de alto nivel que ocurre a dos días del plazo impuesto por la Casa Blanca para que Rusia detenga su ofensiva militar en Ucrania. La llegada de Witkoff fue confirmada por la agencia estatal rusa TASS, que reportó que fue recibido por el representante especial del Kremlin, Kirill Dmitriev.

La visita se da en un contexto de máxima tensión entre Washington y Moscú, luego de que Trump advirtiera que impondría nuevas sanciones si el Kremlin no da señales concretas de frenar el conflicto. “Vamos a ver qué sucede”, dijo el presidente estadounidense el martes. “Tomaremos esa decisión en ese momento”, agregó ante la prensa.

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La Casa Blanca no ha detallado si Witkoff se reunirá directamente con el presidente Vladimir Putin, aunque fuentes oficiales recordaron que ambos ya han mantenido encuentros previos. El contenido de las reuniones, por ahora, no ha sido divulgado, pero funcionarios estadounidenses indicaron que se trata de conversaciones “de último momento” antes de que se activen nuevas medidas punitivas.

El enviado estadounidense fue recibido por altos funcionarios rusos en una visita clave para definir si Washington activará nuevas sanciones económicas (REUTERS/Leah Millis)

Las autoridades rusas expresaron una postura abierta al diálogo. “Consideramos estas conversaciones importantes, sustanciales y útiles”, declaró el lunes el portavoz del Kremlin, Dmitri Peskov. “Valoramos los esfuerzos de Estados Unidos para terminar el conflicto”, añadió.

El viaje de Witkoff ocurre en medio de advertencias desde Washington sobre posibles “aranceles secundarios” que afectarían no sólo a Rusia, sino también a sus principales socios comerciales, incluidos China e India. El objetivo, según fuentes del Departamento del Tesoro, es reducir los flujos de exportación rusos que aún se mantienen activos pese a las sanciones vigentes.

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En una orden ejecutiva emitida la semana pasada, Trump argumentó que las recientes acciones del gobierno ruso representan una “amenaza inusual y extraordinaria” para la seguridad nacional, la economía y la política exterior de Estados Unidos. La medida también calificó como “injustificados” los cargos presentados por Moscú contra Ucrania y criticó la falta de avances hacia un alto el fuego.

La visita se da en
La visita se da en un contexto de máxima tensión entre Washington y Moscú, luego de que Trump advirtiera que impondría nuevas sanciones si el Kremlin no da señales concretas de frenar el conflicto (REUTERS/ARCHIVO)

La guerra, que lleva más de tres años, sigue sin perspectivas claras de resolución. Tres rondas de negociaciones de paz celebradas en Estambul no han producido avances. Rusia insiste en que Ucrania reconozca la soberanía rusa sobre cuatro regiones ocupadas y renuncie a integrarse en la OTAN. Ucrania, por su parte, exige el cese inmediato de la ofensiva y la retirada de tropas.

El martes, Trump reiteró su malestar con la continuidad del conflicto. Cuando fue consultado sobre qué mensaje llevará Witkoff a Moscú, respondió: “¿Hay algo que Rusia pueda hacer para evitar las sanciones? Sí, lograr un acuerdo donde la gente deje de morir”.

El despliegue diplomático se produce también después de que Trump confirmara el envío de dos submarinos nucleares estadounidenses “a la región”, en respuesta a una polémica con el ex mandatario ruso Dmitry Medvédev. No se especificó si se trata de submarinos con capacidad de ataque nuclear ni su ubicación exacta.

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El representante especial del Kremlin,
El representante especial del Kremlin, Kirill Dmitrie (REUTERS/ARCHIVO)

Desde Moscú, Peskov respondió con cautela. “Rusia presta mucha atención al tema de la no proliferación nuclear. Y creemos que todos deben ser muy, muy cautelosos con la retórica nuclear”, advirtió el portavoz del Kremlin el lunes.

Se espera que la misión de Witkoff se prolongue por al menos dos días. La decisión final de Trump sobre las sanciones económicas dependerá, según indicó el propio mandatario, del resultado de estas reuniones.

(Con información de AFP)



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