Grand jury investigating Trump allies over 'tainted' probes of White House critics

Sources tell MSNOW's Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian that a federal grand jury in Maryland is now investigating whether President Donald Trump improperly assigned unauthorized people to help investigate mortgage fraud of Trump critics.

Those allies are Bill Pulte, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and Ed Martin, United States Pardon Attorney and the director of the Weaponization Working Group at the Department of Justice.

The Trump administration is pursuing mortgage fraud investigations into several of Trump's political adversaries, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA).

On his X account Thursday, Dilanian posted, "THIS IS WILD. A federal grand jury in Maryland is investigating whether Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte and Justice Department prosecutor Ed Martin improperly appointed unauthorized people to help in mortgage fraud investigations of President Donald Trump's critics."

Dilanian continued, saying, "According to two people familiar with the matter and a document reviewed by MSNOW, the probe is focused on whether the mortgage fraud investigations of Sen. Adam Schiff and possibly New York Attorney General Letitia James have been tainted by the investigative methods allegedly used by Pulte and Martin."