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Senator Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday urged Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte to cooperate with a Government Accountability Office inquiry into his referrals of alleged mortgage fraud to the Justice Department. Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, said she believes the housing regulator is not providing the congressional watchdog with information it has requested.
The dispute puts scrutiny on the FHFA, which regulates Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System, and on Pulte’s handling of allegations involving people viewed as political opponents of President Donald Trump. The accusations have been denied by those targeted. The agency says it has responded to GAO inquiries, while the watchdog says it is working with the agency and Congress to obtain information.
Warren raises obstruction concerns
In a letter to Pulte seen by Reuters, Warren said she understands the FHFA is not complying with the GAO’s requests. She warned that withholding information could hinder congressional oversight, impede the watchdog’s work to protect taxpayers and create unnecessary costs. Her letter characterized the alleged obstruction as illegal; that is Warren’s assertion, not a finding reported by the GAO or a court.
The GAO is a nonpartisan congressional agency that conducts investigations and audits for Congress. Its spokesperson said the office was working with the FHFA and lawmakers to obtain information needed for its work, but declined to discuss details of the ongoing effort. The public accounts available Tuesday did not specify what records the GAO sought, when it requested them or what deadline it set.
FHFA defends its responses
An FHFA spokesperson said the agency engages with GAO inquiries and had responded to every inquiry received during the most recent fiscal year. The statement did not address Warren’s specific allegation that the agency was failing to provide information sought in the current inquiry.
Pulte has previously defended his mortgage-fraud referrals as part of an effort to uncover misconduct and fraud in mortgage markets. The referrals prompted concerns among Democrats that the agency’s actions could be politically motivated or involve an inappropriate use of public resources. Those concerns remain allegations; the available reporting did not establish that the referrals were improper.
A longer-running dispute over referrals
Warren and several other Democratic senators called on the GAO last year to examine Pulte’s conduct. Their concern was that the referrals involving alleged mortgage fraud might be politically motivated and use government resources improperly. The GAO inquiry now at issue follows that request, although the reports available Tuesday did not detail its scope or provide a timetable for findings.
Pulte took office in March 2025 after Senate confirmation. The FHFA was established under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, following the housing crisis, and serves as regulator and conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The two mortgage-finance companies play a central role in the U.S. housing market, making the agency’s oversight and accountability relevant to mortgage finance beyond the immediate dispute.
Inspector general funding adds to scrutiny
Warren’s letter comes amid a separate dispute over the FHFA’s internal oversight. The agency moved last week to cut funding for its Office of Inspector General, saying the reduction would bring the office’s budget into line with those of peer agencies. The inspector general’s top official warned that the cuts would require staff reductions and make it impossible to investigate misconduct, according to Reuters.
Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jack Reed, both Democrats on the Banking Committee, have asked that Pulte be called to testify at a hearing. No hearing date was reported, and the available reporting did not identify a response from Pulte to Warren’s latest letter. The GAO’s work remains ongoing, with no public completion date or findings announced.
