Schiff responds to ProPublica report on Trump cabinet mortgages: ‘Staggering’ hypocrisy
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Thursday responded to ProPublica reporting about Trump Cabinet members’ mortgages, saying that “the hypocrisy of the Trump administration is nothing short of staggering.”
“Donald Trump has made mortgage fraud accusations his weapon of choice to attack people standing in his way and people standing up to him, like me,” Schiff said in a post on the social platform X later Thursday.
“Now the news about Trump’s own Cabinet and their mortgages. Should we expect Trump and his enablers at DOJ to make sensational accusations against and investigate his own Cabinet?” he added, with a link to a Thursday ProPublica report.
A minimum of three Trump Cabinet members on mortgages say that multiple homes are their primary residences, according to ProPublica’s report.
ProPublica reported that there are primary-residence mortgages for Sean Duffy, the secretary of Transportation, in New Jersey and Washington D.C. Labor secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, according to the outlet, rapidly went into two primary-residence mortgages. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, per loan records, has Washington, D.C. and Long Island primary-residence mortgages, the outlet reported.
When reached for comment, an EPA spokesperson told The Hill that “this is more fake news from dark money ProPublica.”
“Administrator Zeldin’s primary residence is currently in Washington, DC, since being confirmed as EPA Administrator earlier this year,” the spokesperson continued. “Previously, Administrator Zeldin’s primary residence was in Shirley, NY, since he departed active duty in 2007. Administrator Zeldin followed ALL steps to complete the move in accordance with all laws, rules, and contracts, notifying his mortgage company, insurance company, and local government.”
A spokesperson for the Transportation Department also said that in the wake of “being confirmed as the Secretary of Transportation, Sean purchased a home in Washington D.C. where he works full-time.”
“The home in DC is not a rental, investment or vacation property. The same bank holds both mortgages and was fully informed of Secretary Duffy’s new employment location and need for a DC residence,’ the spokesperson continued.
At least three notable adversaries to President Trump have been targeted with probes from the Justice Department on their personal real estate dealings. Trump recently noted allegations against Federal Reserve board of governors member Lisa Cook to back up his effort to remove her from her position.
New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) and Schiff have dealt with investigations linked to their mortgage records as well.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to The Hill that the ProPublica report “is just another hit piece from a left-wing dark money group that constantly attempts to smear President Trump’s incredible cabinet members.”
“Unlike Lisa ‘Corrupt’ Cook who blatantly committed mortgage fraud, Secretary DeRemer, Secretary Duffy, and Administrator Zeldin own multiple residences, and they have followed the law and they are fully compliant with all ethical obligations,” she added.
A White House official also told The Hill that Chavez-DeRemer and her husband “refinanced their longtime Oregon residence” back in early 2021.
“On March 11, 2021, Dr. Shawn DeRemer purchased their Arizona home with the intention that Lori Chavez-DeRemer would retire from public office, and the couple would make Arizona their primary residence,” the official said. “Lori Chavez-DeRemer later got the call to run for Congress in Oregon, filing in July 2021, and delaying her retirement.”
“In the meantime, Dr. DeRemer continued to move forward with the process of becoming a legal AZ resident.”
The Hill has reached out to the Justice Department and Department of Labor for comment.
Updated at 9:30 p.m. EDT.