President Donald Trump's Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte has emerged as an "attack dog" who has filed a series of complaints against various politicians and public servants Trump opposes, accusing them of mortgage fraud. His latest target is Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, whom he claims took "primary residence" status on two different properties at the same time — and Trump's Justice Department is now pursuing a criminal investigation of the matter.
A new investigation by Reuters reveals that Pulte's father and stepmother are doing the exact same thing.
"Mark and Julie Pulte, the father and stepmother of Bill Pulte, President Donald Trump’s appointee as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, since 2020 have claimed so-called 'homestead exemptions' for residences in wealthy neighborhoods in both Michigan and Florida, according to the records," reported Marisa Taylor, Chris Prentice, and Mike Colias. "The exemption is meant to give a discount to homeowners on taxes for properties they use as their primary residence."
Furthermore, when Reuters started asking questions, the Pultes' tax breaks in Michigan were abruptly revoked.
"Local tax officials in both states told Reuters that claiming more than one home as a primary residence isn’t generally allowed in their jurisdictions and could be punishable by fines or back taxes," said the report. "After Reuters contacted tax officials in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, to inquire about the dual claims, Darrin Kraatz, director of assessing, on Thursday said the township 'as of today' would revoke the exemption on the Pultes’ residence there."
This isn't the first time Pulte, who has more broadly taken an aggressive stance against the Fed, has faced such scrutiny. Last month, reporting revealed Pulte's wife donated half a million dollars to a super PAC backing Trump, routed improperly through a Delaware shell company — although the Federal Election Commission did not find a criminal offense when it investigated.
