A group of Senate Democrats pressed Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte recently to explain how he was managing two full-time federal jobs at once, and suggested he resign if he couldn't.
In a letter to Pulte, the lawmakers questioned his commitment to his Senate-confirmed Federal Housing Finance Agency post after President Trump tapped him last month to simultaneously serve as acting Director of National Intelligence.
They argued the dual role raised doubts about whether Pulte could properly address the country's housing affordability crisis while also overseeing the nation's intelligence apparatus.
“We are concerned that your capacity to address the nation’s worsening housing crisis has been significantly impaired by your serving in a role that has nothing to do with your responsibilities at FHFA,” the letter reads.
“Your acceptance of the role as acting DNI suggests that you may be more interested in using your position in the federal government to continue serving the President’s political agenda than in lowering housing costs for American families. It also raises further questions about your potential abuses of authority, improper use of federal resources, and ability to safeguard confidential information – both as FHFA Director and as acting DNI.”
Pulte's acting role as DNI is expected to come to an end on Monday once Jay Clayton, who Trump nominated for the position last month, takes over the position full time. Nevertheless, the Democratic lawmakers gave Pulte a sharp deadline to turn over a detailed accounting of how he split his time between FHFA and the Office of the DNI, including copies of his official calendars, and until August 7 to detail FHFA's progress on a separate list of housing affordability recommendations they sent him last August.
“If you are unwilling or unable to dedicate yourself fully to the role for which you were confirmed and help to lower housing costs for Americans, we would urge you to resign,” the letter reads.