Donald Trump names FHFA Director Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence
President Donald Trump announced the appointment of William J. Pulte, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, to serve as the Acting Director of National Intelligence. Pulte will replace Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned from her post last month, citing her husband's cancer diagnosis. Trump claimed that Pulte had "deep experience" in managing sensitive matters, the stability of the markets, and "over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac."
Despite landing a new role in the federal government, Pulte would retain his previous roles and work simultaneously. His current job, according to Associated Press, was to ensure the stability of the mortgage market. However, he did not shy away from criticising the President's political rivals, one of them being Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. He has also been a frequent guest on Air Force One on the President's trips to Mar-a-Lago.
According to a CNN report, Pulte played a significant role in pushing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pursue a number of people who may be seen as political rivals of the President. He referred New York Attorney General Letitia James, Rep. Eric Swalwell, Sen. Adam Schiff, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to the DOJ for mortgage fraud. All four are vocal critics of the Trump administration. He also referred Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over similar fraud claims.
While none of these referrals resulted in an indictment, they led to accusations that the Trump administration was using the DOJ to its benefit. Last year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) opened an investigation into Pulte and the FHFA at the request of Senate Democrats. "The first thing GAO does as any work begins is to determine the full scope of what we will cover and the methodology to be used," a GAO spokesperson had said. "This can take a few months, and until that is done, we cannot provide any estimates on a completion date."
