The
probe
was
referred
to
the
FHFA’s
Office
of
Inspector
General
(OIG),
and
the
report
was
later
sent
to
the
U.S.
attorney’s
office
in
eastern
Virginia
—
the
same
office
that
filed
a
criminal
case
alleging

mortgage
fraud
against
James,
who
has
denied
wrongdoing
and
pleaded
not
guilty.

Following
the
investigations,
about
a
dozen
members
of
Fannie
Mae’s
ethics
and
internal
investigations
unit
were
fired,
WSJ
reported.
Suzanne
Libby,
Fannie
Mae’s
chief
ethics
officer,
was
removed,
and
Danielle
McCoy,
who
served
as
general
counsel,
resigned
under
pressure.

The
FHFA’s
acting
inspector
general,
Joe
Allen,
who
forwarded
the
report
to
prosecutors,
was
also

asked
to
step
down
last
week.

Neither
the
FHFA
nor
Fannie
Mae
immediately
responded
to

HousingWire‘s
request
for
comment.

Pulte
has
cited

diversity,
equity
and
inclusion
(DEI)
initiatives
as
a
reason
for
layoffs
at
the
government-sponsored
enterprises.
And
he
has
issued
referrals
to
the Department
of
Justice (DOJ)
regarding
allegations
of
mortgage
fraud,
including
against
California
Sen.

Adam
Schiff
and

Federal
Reserve
Governor

Lisa
Cook.
Neither
has
been
charged.

Pulte
has

denied
“political
weaponization”
when
asked
about
the
sources
of
mortgage
fraud
tips
and
the
allegations.
He
has
also
declined
to
say
whether
he
is
scrutinizing
Texas
Attorney
General
Ken
Paxton
—
a
Republican
who
has
reportedly
listed
three
properties
as
his
primary
residence,
according
to
The
Associated
Press.

“It
doesn’t
matter
if
you’re
a
Republican
or
a
Democrat
or
a
Fed
Governor
or
someone
who
mans
a
convenience
store,”
Pulte
has
said
in
a

September
interview
with
CNBC.
“If
you
commit
mortgage
fraud,
you
need
to
be
held
accountable.”