U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has appointed a “special attorney” to probe mortgage fraud allegations against Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and New York Attorney General Letitia James, two administration officials told NBC News.
The Justice Department is also in the initial stages of an investigation of James over her successful civil fraud case against President Donald Trump, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Bondi tapped Ed Martin, a conservative activist and former interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., as special attorney to investigate Schiff and James, both prominent Democratic opponents of the president, the two administration officials said.
A senior law enforcement official said a grand jury seated in the Eastern District of Virginia will investigate the James mortgage fraud allegations and a grand jury in Maryland will investigate the allegations against Schiff.
Martin met Friday morning with Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who sent a criminal referral for the California senator to the Justice Department in May, the administration officials said. Pulte sent a referral for James in April, prompting the Justice Department to open an investigation into allegations that she made false statements on mortgage loan applications.
Trump had previously called for both Democratic officials to be prosecuted because of the mortgage fraud allegations.
Schiff and James have denied wrongdoing.
Preet Bharara, who is representing Schiff,...
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