Schiff launches legal defense fund in response to claims Trump is ‘weaponizing’ justice system

Sen. Adam Schiff launched a legal defense fund as the California Democrat faces a federal investigation for alleged mortgage fraud and President Donald Trump repeatedly condemns him for years of allegedly promoting the "Russiagate" hoax. 

"It’s clear that Donald Trump and his MAGA allies will continue weaponizing the justice process to attack Senator Schiff for holding this corrupt administration accountable," a spokeswoman for Schiff told Fox News Digital on Tuesday evening. "This fund will ensure he can fight back against these baseless smears while continuing to do his job."

The legal fund, dubbed "Senator Schiff Legal Defense Fund," was filed with the Internal Revenue Service Thursday, according to the New York Times. 

Trump and Schiff have long been political foes, stretching back to the president's first administration, when Schiff — who was serving in the U.S. House at the time — oversaw the first impeachment trial against Trump in 2020 for alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and for repeatedly promoting the narrative that Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. 

SEN ADAM SCHIFF UNDER FEDERAL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION FOR ALLEGED MORTGAGE FRAUD VIOLATIONS

"Russia, Russia, Russia. Totally phony, created by Adam Schiff, Shifty Schiff, and Hillary Clinton and the whole group of them," Trump said from the Kennedy Center Wednesday. 

Trump was referring to recently declassified documents alleging the Obama administration "manufactured and politicized intelligence" to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election, despite information from the intelligence community stating otherwise. 

"It made it very dangerous for our country because I was unable to really deal with Russia the way we should have been," Trump continued from the Kennedy Center, referring to Attorney General Pam Bondi. "And I'm looking at Pam because I hope something's going to be done about it." 

White House spokesman Harrison Fields called Schiff a "fraud" and "corrupt politician" when approached for comment on Tuesday regarding the legal fund.  

"Adam Schiff is a sleazy and corrupt politician who betrayed his oath to the Constitution by prioritizing his selfish and personal animosity toward the President over the interests of the American people. No amount of money can shield Adam from the truth that he is a fraud," Fields told Fox News Digital. 

Schiff also came under fire earlier in August when documents released to Congress by FBI Director Kash Patel reported that a Democratic whistleblower who worked for Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee for more than 10 years told the FBI in 2017 that Schiff allegedly approved leaking classified information on Trump that "would be used to indict President TRUMP."

Schiff denied the allegations as "absolutely and categorically false."

Schiff notably served on the Jan. 6 committee, which investigated the day in January 2021 when Trump supporters breached the U.S. Capitol, and was among lawmakers who were granted preemptive pardons on President Joe Biden's final day in office in 2025. 

HOW TRUMP'S 'NO SHRINKING VIOLETS' DOJ IS DIGGING IN ON SCHIFF'S MORTGAGE DEALINGS AS LEGAL PERIL LOOMS

Schiff, however, had publicly condemned the prospect of Biden doling out preemptive pardons as "unnecessary" and setting a bad precedent. 

"First, those of us on the committee are very proud of the work we did. We were doing vital quintessential oversight of a violent attack on the Capitol," Schiff said during a media interview in December 2024. "So I think it’s unnecessary."

"But second, the precedent of giving blanket pardons, preemptive blanket pardons on the way out of an administration, I think is a precedent we don’t want to set," he added.

TRUMP INVOKES RUSSIA COLLUSION HOAX WHILE CALLING FOR LONGTIME FOE SCHIFF TO FACE JAIL TIME

The California Democrat also is facing a federal investigation for mortgage fraud, Fox Digital previously reported. Schiff has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the matter is a "baseless attempt at political retribution."

The U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sent a criminal referral to the Department of Justice in May claiming that in "multiple instances," Schiff allegedly "falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments from 2003-2019 for a Potomac, Maryland-based property."

Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

White House reacts to Dem whistleblower’s ‘bombshell’ claim Schiff leaked to hit Trump

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the recent release of Democratic whistleblower testimony claiming Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff approved leaking classified information in order to discredit President Donald Trump during the Russiagate probe a "bombshell" Tuesday afternoon. 

"This is obviously a bombshell whistleblower report," Leavitt said at a Tuesday White House press briefing. "Hopefully more people in this room will cover it as such."

"I understand Kash Patel, last night, declassified a 302 FBI document showing that a whistleblower, who is a Democrat, a career intelligence officer who worked for Democrats on the House Intel Committee for more than a decade, repeatedly warned the FBI in 2017 that then-Rep. Adam Schiff had approved leaking classified information to smear then President Donald Trump over the Russiagate scandal," she added. 

Schiff served in the U.S. House representing California for decades before he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2024. 

Trump and Schiff have long been political foes, which was underscored during Trump's first administration when Schiff served as the lead House manager during the first impeachment trial against Trump in 2020, and when Schiff repeatedly promoted claims that Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia

TRUMP-FOE ADAM SCHIFF DISMISSES TULSI GABBARD'S DECLASSIFIED RUSSIA COLLUSION INTELLIGENCE AS 'DISHONEST'

On Monday evening, reports spread that a whistleblower who reportedly worked for Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee for more than 10 years told the FBI in 2017 that the Democrat lawmaker green-lit leaking classified information on Trump that allegedly "would be used to indict President TRUMP," according to the report. 

"In this meeting, SCHIFF stated the group would leak classified information which was derogatory to President of the United States DONALD J. TRUMP. SCHIFF stated the information would be used to indict President TRUMP."

The whistleblower "stated this would be illegal and, upon hearing his concerns, unnamed members of the meeting reassured that they would not be caught leaking classified information," the report added.

KAROLINE LEAVITT EXCORIATES MEDIA FOR PERPETUATING 'COMPLETE SCAM' OF RUSSIA HOAX

Leavitt continued Tuesday by reading a quote from FBI Director Kash Patel that "for years certain officials used their positions to selectively leak classified information to shape political narratives."

"It was all done with one purpose: to weaponize intelligence and law enforcement for political gain," Leavitt said, quoting Patel. "Those abuses eroded public trust in our institutions. The FBI will now lead the charge with our partners at DOJ, and Congress will have the chance to uncover how political power may have been weaponized and to restore accountability." 

TRUMP INVOKES RUSSIA COLLUSION HOAX WHILE CALLING FOR LONGTIME FOE SCHIFF TO FACE JAIL TIME

Leavitt added, when asked if Trump plans to investigate Schiff over the matter, doubled down that Trump "has already said he wants to see Adam Schiff held accountable for the countless lies he told the American people in relation to the Russiagate scandal."

Schiff's office hit back against the report in comment to Fox Digital Tuesday afternoon, claiming it was a "smear" that is "absolutely and categorically false."

"Kash Patel’s latest smear against Senator Schiff is absolutely and categorically false, and is just the latest in a series of defamatory attacks from the President and his allies meant to distract from their plummeting poll numbers and the Epstein files scandal," a spokesperson for Schiff said. 

"These baseless smears are based on allegations that were found to be not reliable, not credible, and unsubstantiated from a disgruntled former staffer who was fired by the House Intelligence Committee for cause in early 2017, including for harassment and potentially compromising activity on official travel for the Committee," the spokesperson continued. "Even Trump’s own Justice Department and an independent inspector general found this individual to not be credible, have "little support for their contentions" and was of "unknown reliability," and concluded that his accusations against Members of Congress and congressional staff "were not ultimately substantiated.'" 

Schiff is also currently facing a criminal investigation for alleged mortgage fraud stretching back to the early 2000s — a case where he has denied wrongdoing. 

The release of the whistleblower's account follows Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard bombshell claims in July that Obama-era officials "manufactured and politicized intelligence" to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Gabbard released unclassified documents in July that reportedly show "overwhelming evidence" that then–President Barack Obama and his national security team laid the groundwork for what would be the yearslong Trump–Russia collusion probe after Trump's election win against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Schiff decries Bove’s confirmation as ‘corruption’ despite DOJ referral into his own mortgage dealings

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., blasted Republicans for confirming President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney Emil Bove as a federal judge Tuesday after the senator himself was referred to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution amid allegations of mortgage fraud. 

The Senate voted to confirm Bove to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in a 50–49 vote Tuesday, amid a challenging confirmation process involving allegations from three whistleblowers who alleged Bove disregarded court orders surrounding Trump’s mass deportation agenda and misled lawmakers during his confirmation hearing. 

"Republicans just voted to confirm Emil Bove. Despite whistleblowers confirming he urged them to ignore court orders," Schiff said in a Tuesday X post. "Despite it being clear he lied to the Judiciary Committee. And despite the danger he poses to the rule of law. The corruption of the bench continues."

TRUMP PICK EMIL BOVE CONFIRMED AS FEDERAL JUDGE AFTER FURIOUS DEMOCRAT WALKOUT, WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINTS

No Democrats voted to back Bove. They were joined by Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.

Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Tuesday on the Senate floor he backed Bove and said that Bove had faced "unfair accusations and abuse."

After representing Trump in his criminal prosecutions, Bove joined Trump’s Justice Department to serve as the principal associate deputy attorney general.

Meanwhile, Schiff has come under scrutiny for his own alleged misconduct and was referred to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution stemming from a mortgage document controversy. 

The director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) wrote a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in May, outlining Schiff’s alleged misconduct over his homes in both Maryland and California. 

TOP DOJ OFFICIAL FACES TEST IN SENATE OVER NOMINATION TO BECOME FEDERAL JUDGE

FHFA Director William Pulte wrote in the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital Monday, that Schiff "falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments from 2003–2019 for a Potomac, Maryland-based property." 

It’s unclear whether the Justice Department has launched any actions against Schiff yet, and the Justice Department declined to provide comment to Fox News Digital. 

Schiff's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Meanwhile, Trump has railed against Schiff for years — and did so again in July, claiming he would love to see Schiff "brought to justice." 

"I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist," Trump posted to Truth Social on July 15. "And now I learn that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division have concluded that Adam Schiff has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud."

KEY TRUMP NOMINEES STALLED BY SENATE DEMS PUT PRESSURE ON GOP LEADERS

In response, Schiff said that Trump’s claims amounted to a "baseless attempt at political retribution." 

"Since I led his first impeachment, Trump has repeatedly called for me to be arrested for treason," Schiff said in a July 15 X post. "So in a way, I guess this is a bit of a letdown. And this baseless attempt at political retribution won’t stop me from holding him accountable. Not by a long shot." 

Fox News’ Ashley Oliver, Danielle Wallace and Peter Doocey contributed to this report. 

How Trump’s ‘no shrinking violets’ DOJ is digging in on Schiff’s mortgage dealings as legal peril looms

The Department of Justice is likely digging into Sen. Adam Schiff's mortgage paperwork trail stretching back to a Maryland home purchase from the early 2000s as it weighs whether it has an airtight case to potentially prosecute the longtime political foe of President Donald Trump, according to a Cornell Law School professor.

"The one thing they don't want to do is to bring a case that fails," William Jacobson told Fox Digital in a Zoom interview, referring to the DOJ potentially investigating Schiff's alleged mortgage fraud. Jacobson is a clinical professor and the Director of the Securities Law Clinic at Cornell. 

"Either it fails legally, or it fails in court. They don't want to lose that case if you're going against a major political opponent. And that's part of the calculation that will take place."

Jacobson talked about the ins and outs of the Democratic California senator's potential legal woes following the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency sending a letter to the DOJ this year claiming that Schiff falsified banking and property documents by listing two homes – on two separate coasts – as his primary residence out of an effort to allegedly get more favorable loans. 

The DOJ has not yet said whether it would take up the case, but is likely digging into Schiff's paper trail as it weighs whether to move forward, Jacobson explained.  

TRUMP ACCUSES 'SCAM ARTIST' SCHIFF OF LYING ABOUT MARYLAND HOME TO COMMIT MORTGAGE FRAUD

"I would expect that the first thing the Department of Justice is going to do is to gather documents. There will be a paper trail here. There will be many things that are documentable, and not ‘he said, she said,’ as to where Adam Schiff was actually living," he said. 

As investigators go through the documents, they will ask questions such as: What was his actual primary residence? What did he sign? Who was present when he signed? Did he have conversations with people about it?

The law professor, who founded the popular conservative legal blog Legal Insurrection, said that there will likely be a "significant paper trail" to go through due to the case stretching back more than 20 years and due to companies keeping tight records following the 2008 financial crash. 

"Mortgage companies preserve all of these things because of the financial crisis and other things. They have to maintain these records. . . . And I would expect that that would be the first thing the Department of Justice would look at is the paper trail and the circumstantial evidence as to where Adam Schiff was, in fact, living," he continued, remarking that there are "no shrinking violets" at the Trump DOJ. 

Schiff first fell under scrutiny this year in May, when the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sent a letter to the Department of Justice sounding the alarm that, in "multiple instances," Schiff allegedly "falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments from 2003-2019 for a Potomac, Maryland-based property."

At the heart of the issue are two properties purchased by Schiff: a home purchased in 2003 in Potomac, Maryland, for $870,000 under a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage agreement for $610,000 at a rate of 5.625% over a term of 30 years, and a 2009 Burbank, Calif., condo. Schiff reaffirmed the Potomac property as his principal residence in mortgage refinancing paperwork in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013, according to the FHFA letter to the DOJ.

Over the same time frame, Schiff took a homeowner’s tax exemption on the Burbank condo while also claiming that home as his primary residence for a $7,000 reduction off of the 1% property tax, FHFA Director William Pulte wrote in the letter to the DOJ, citing media reports. 

In 2023, the letter continued, a spokesperson for Schiff asserted that "Adam’s primary residence is Burbank, California, and will remain so when he wins the Senate seat."

FHFA is an independent federal agency that oversees Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System. 

TRUMP INVOKES RUSSIA COLLUSION HOAX WHILE CALLING FOR LONGTIME FOE SCHIFF TO FACE JAIL TIME

In 2020, Schiff refinanced his mortgage, listing his Maryland home as his secondary residence.

Trump publicly slammed Schiff over his mortgages in July on Truth Social, accusing him of fraud and putting the issue back on the public's radar following 2023 news reports on Schiff's homes in Maryland and California. 

"I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist," Trump posted to Truth Social Tuesday. "And now I learn that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division have concluded that Adam Schiff has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud." 

"Adam Schiff said that his primary residence was in MARYLAND to get a cheaper mortgage and rip off America, when he must LIVE in CALIFORNIA because he was a Congressman from CALIFORNIA. I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook. The FRAUD began with the refinance of his Maryland property on February 6, 2009, and continued through multiple transactions until the Maryland property was correctly designated as a second home on October 13, 2020."

FOX NEWS POLITICS NEWSLETTER: SCHIFF FLAGGED FOR POTENTIAL MORTGAGE FRAUD BY TRUMP OFFICIAL 

Schiff has repeatedly denied and brushed off the accusations, including refusing to answer questions from Fox News Digital about his alleged mortgage fraud when confronted in the nation's capital on July 16. 

"Since I led his first impeachment, Trump has repeatedly called for me to be arrested for treason. So in a way, I guess this is a bit of a letdown. And this baseless attempt at political retribution won’t stop me from holding him accountable. Not by a long shot," he posted to X in July following Trump's initial Truth Social attack on Schiff's mortgages. 

"This is just Donald Trump’s latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies. So it is not a surprise, only how weak this false allegation turns out to be. And much as Trump may hope, this smear will not distract from his Epstein files problem," he added. 

Schiff's primary residence discrepancies first hit the public's radar in 2023, when Schiff launched an ultimately successful campaign to serve in the Senate after decades in the U.S. House. CNN published the first news article detailing that Schiff had claimed the Maryland home as a primary residence while also taking a homeowner’s tax exemption on the Burbank condo.

The campaign said at the time that Schiff's two properties were listed as primary residences "for loan purposes because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property."

Trump and Schiff have long been political foes, which was underscored during Trump's first administration when Schiff served as the lead House manager during the first impeachment trial against Trump in 2020, and when Schiff repeatedly promoted claims that Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia

WATCH: ADAM SCHIFF SILENT AFTER TRUMP ACCUSED HIM OF MORTGAGE FRAUD

Days after Trump first posted about Schiff's mortgages in Maryland and California, the president's Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, declassified documents that reportedly show "overwhelming evidence" that then-President Barack Obama and his national security team laid the groundwork for what would be the yearslong Trump–Russia collusion probe after Trump's election win against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016. 

Schiff was an incredibly vocal lawmaker amid the Russian collusion claims, most notably when the House censured him in 2023 over his promotion that Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. Schiff served in the House representing California from 2001 to 2024, when he was sworn-in as a senator after his successful 2024 campaign to serve in the nation's upper chamber.

Schiff served as the ranking member of the House intelligence committee from 2015 to 2019, before becoming the committee's chair from 2019 to 2023. In that role, he was kept up to date on classified materials surrounding the Russian collusion claims. 

Trump also recently invoked Gabbard's alleged revelations while attacking Schiff over his mortgages in another Truth Social post.

FEDERAL HOUSING OFFICIAL SUBMITTED SCHIFF CRIMINAL REFERRAL TO DOJ OVER MORTGAGE DOCUMENTS

Trump went on to ominously warn during a White House event last week that Schiff has "a lot of other things far worse than" his mortgage inquiry. 

"He defrauded banks and insurance companies and the federal government, but it's, very simple. It's mortgage loan fraud ... But he has a lot of other things far worse than that. So no Adam Schiff, they have him 100% on mortgage fraud," Trump said last Tuesday from the White House while hosting a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Jacobson said that Democrats have boxed themselves out of attempting to claim that Trump is targeting a political foe over the mortgage criminal referral because the party had spent the last decade launching "lawfare" at Trump. 

"One of the ironies here that I think everybody understands, is that Democrats launched a lawfare campaign against Donald Trump. And it didn't just start once he took office this year. It's been going on for a decade," he said. 

"They have used every tool available to try to destroy him, including through criminal prosecutions, including through federal investigations. . . .  They've really tried to get him. And for them now to say, 'oh, just because we did that to you for 10 years doesn't give you the right to do it to us.' Legally, that's sound. I mean, you have to prove your case in court. But politically, I don't think that's going to fly. Democrats screaming that Donald Trump is weaponizing prosecutors against them is not going to really impress a lot of people."

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Jacobson speculated that there will likely be more woes for Schiff in the coming days, but that potential legal cases hinge on prosecutors. 

"We don't know where this is going ahead, of course, but it does appear that Adam Schiff is in the sights of Donald Trump. No surprise about that, because Donald Trump has been in the sights of Adam Schiff for a decade. So, I fully expect that there will be more here. The question is going to be really though, once it moves into the realm of prosecution, what are the prosecutors going to do?" 

The Department of Justice declined comment when approached about potentially investigating and taking up the Schiff case. Schiff's office did not respond to Fox Digital's request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace and Peter Doocy contributed to this report. 

Trump invokes Russia collusion hoax while calling for longtime foe Schiff to face jail time

President Donald Trump called for California Democrat Sen. Adam Schiff to face jail time while invoking recently declassified documents alleging Obama administration officials "manufactured and politicized intelligence" to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election.

"Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff is in BIG TROUBLE!" Trump posted to Truth Social Sunday evening. "He falsified Loan Documents. He once said my son would go to prison on a SCAM that Schiff, along with other Crooked Dems, illegally ‘manufactured’ in order to stage an actual coup." 

"My son did nothing wrong, knew nothing about the fictional story," he added. "It was an American Tragedy! Now Shifty should pay the price of prison for a real crime, not one made up by the corrupt accusers!" 

Schiff is under scrutiny after the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sent a letter to the Department of Justice in May sounding the alarm that in "multiple instances," Schiff allegedly "falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments from 2003-2019 for a Potomac, Maryland-based property."

FEDERAL HOUSING OFFICIAL SUBMITTED SCHIFF CRIMINAL REFERRAL TO DOJ OVER MORTGAGE DOCUMENTS

FHFA is an independent federal agency that oversees Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System. 

Schiff’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment Monday morning.

Trump publicly lambasted Schiff Tuesday over the alleged mortgage fraud, while Fannie Mae's financial crimes investigations concluded last week in a letter to the FHFA that Schiff allegedly engaged in "a sustained pattern of possible occupancy misrepresentation" on five Fannie Mae loans, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

"I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist," Trump posted to Truth Social Tuesday. "And now I learn that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division have concluded that Adam Schiff has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud." 

"Adam Schiff said that his primary residence was in MARYLAND to get a cheaper mortgage and rip off America, when he must LIVE in CALIFORNIA because he was a Congressman from CALIFORNIA. I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook. The FRAUD began with the refinance of his Maryland property on February 6, 2009, and continued through multiple transactions until the Maryland property was correctly designated as a second home on October 13, 2020."

Schiff has passed off the allegations as a continuation of Trump's history of slamming the liberal lawmaker. 

"Since I led his first impeachment, Trump has repeatedly called for me to be arrested for treason," Schiff posted to X earlier in July after Trump first accused Schiff of mortgage fraud. "So in a way, I guess this is a bit of a letdown. And this baseless attempt at political retribution won’t stop me from holding him accountable. Not by a long shot." 

WATCH: ADAM SCHIFF SILENT AFTER TRUMP ACCUSED HIM OF MORTGAGE FRAUD

Trump and Schiff have long been political foes, which was underscored during Trump's first administration when Schiff served as the lead House manager during the first impeachment trial against Trump in 2020, and when Schiff repeatedly promoted claims that Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia

Days after Trump first posted about Schiff's mortgages in Maryland and California, the president's Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified documents that reportedly show "overwhelming evidence" that then-President Barack Obama and his national security team laid the groundwork for what would be the yearslong Trump–Russia collusion probe after Trump's election win against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016. 

"It lays out, these over 100 documents that you're referencing, that I declassified and released, spells out in great detail exactly what happens when you have some of the most powerful people in our country directly leading at the helm, President Obama and his senior-most national security cabinet, James Comey, John Brennan, James Clapper, and Susan Rice and others, essentially making a very intentional decision to create this manufactured, politicized piece of intelligence with the objective of subverting the will of the American people," Gabbard told Fox News' Sean Hannity Friday evening.

TRUMP ACCUSES 'SCAM ARTIST' SCHIFF OF LYING ABOUT MARYLAND HOME TO COMMIT MORTGAGE FRAUD

She argued that the goal of Obama and his team was to essentially "not accept the decision of the American people" in 2016, and to use this "manufactured, politicized piece of intelligence" as a means to enact a "years-long coup against President Trump."

Schiff was an incredibly vocal lawmaker amid the Russian collusion claims, most notably when the House censured him in 2023 over his promotion that Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. Schiff served in the House representing California from 2001 to 2024, when he was sworn-in as a senator after his successful 2024 campaign to serve in the nation's upper chamber.

Schiff served as the ranking member of the House intelligence committee from 2015 to 2019, before becoming the committee's chair from 2019 to 2023. In that role, Schiff was kept up to date on classified materials surrounding the Russian collusion claims. 

Schiff advocated in 2018 that Donald Trump Jr., the president's son, face a subpoena amid Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into claims Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia to secure the election, which Trump cited in his latest Truth Social aimed at Schiff. Mueller's investigation, which wrapped up in March 2019, into the Russia claims determined there was no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Timeline of ‘scam artist’ Adam Schiff’s mortgage fraud allegations stretching back years

Longtime President Donald Trump political foe Democrat California Sen. Adam Schiff was referred to the Department of Justice to face criminal prosecution over alleged mortgage fraud that reportedly stretches back years. 

Schiff, who was elected to the Senate in the 2024 election cycle following decades as a House lawmaker, is under scrutiny after the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sent a letter to the Department of Justice in May sounding the alarm that in "multiple instances," Schiff allegedly "falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments from 2003-2019 for a Potomac, Maryland-based property."

FHFA is an independent federal agency that oversees Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System. 

This week, Trump publicly lambasted Schiff over the alleged mortgage fraud, while Fannie Mae's financial crimes investigations concluded Monday in a letter to the FHFA that Schiff allegedly engaged in "a sustained pattern of possible occupancy misrepresentation" on five Fannie Mae loans, Fox News Digital previously reported this week. 

WATCH: ADAM SCHIFF SILENT AFTER TRUMP ACCUSED HIM OF MORTGAGE FRAUD

"I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist," Trump posted to Truth Social Tuesday. "And now I learn that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division have concluded that Adam Schiff has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud." 

"Adam Schiff said that his primary residence was in MARYLAND to get a cheaper mortgage and rip off America, when he must LIVE in CALIFORNIA because he was a Congressman from CALIFORNIA. I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook. The FRAUD began with the refinance of his Maryland property on February 6, 2009, and continued through multiple transactions until the Maryland property was correctly designated as a second home on October 13, 2020."

Potomac, Maryland, is a suburb of Washington, D.C., located just more than 10 miles away from the nation's capital across the Maryland border. 

FEDERAL HOUSING OFFICIAL SUBMITTED SCHIFF CRIMINAL REFERRAL TO DOJ OVER MORTGAGE DOCUMENTS

Trump and Schiff have long been political foes, which was underscored during Trump's first administration when Schiff served as the lead House manager during the first impeachment trial against Trump in 2020 and when Schiff repeatedly promoted claims that Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia

Fox News Digital took a look back at the timeline of Schiff's Maryland home, and when the public was first made aware in 2023 of allegations that Schiff claimed a more than 3,000-square-foot home in the suburbs of Washington as his primary residence, while taking a homeowner’s tax exemption on a small condo in his home state of California. 

TRUMP ACCUSES 'SCAM ARTIST' SCHIFF OF LYING ABOUT MARYLAND HOME TO COMMIT MORTGAGE FRAUD

LETITIA JAMES REAPS WHAT SHE SOWS AFTER LEVELING 'LAUGHABLE' CASE AT TRUMP: EXPERT

The investigation into Schiff's mortgages and homes follows a similar mortgage investigation earlier in 2025 focused on New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is also a longtime political Trump foe. The FHFA sent a criminal referral to the Department of Justice in April arguing the attorney general appeared to have falsified mortgage records to obtain more favorable loans.

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At the heart of that case is a Norfolk, Virginia, home James purchased in 2023, which she identified on mortgage documents and a Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac form as a property that would serve as her primary residence, according to the FHFA letter from April. James is legally required to live in New York as a statewide elected official in the Empire State. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Schiff's office for additional comment on the matter, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report. 

WATCH: Adam Schiff silent after Trump accused him of mortgage fraud

Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California refused to answer repeated questions from Fox News Digital about his alleged mortgage fraud, which President Donald Trump has accused him of committing over 10 years.

The long-time Trump critic, who as a congressman was instrumental in the House of Representatives’ first and second impeachments during Trump’s first term, was accused by the president of committing fraud to obtain lower rates on a second home in Maryland.

Trump alleged that Schiff listed a Maryland property as his primary residence in 2009 to obtain a lower mortgage rate, despite being a congressman and then a senator representing California.

Schiff has called the accusations "baseless."

ADAM SCHIFF HAS A 'LOT OF ISSUES' IN THIS CASE, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR REVEALS 

However, Schiff ignored a Fox News Digital reporter who asked him, "Do you have a response to Trump saying you’re guilty of mortgage fraud?"

The Fox News Digital reporter later asked Schiff, "Why did you decide to make your primary residence Maryland for ten years, for a decade, not California? Any comment on Trump accusing you of committing mortgage fraud, sir? Any response?"

Schiff ignored the questions, simply responding, "Have a nice day."

TRUMP CALLS SEN. ADAM SCHIFF A 'SERIOUS LOWLIFE' 

Trump posted his allegations on Truth Social on Tuesday morning.

"I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist. And now I learn that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division have concluded that Adam Schiff has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud," Trump wrote.

"Adam Schiff said that his primary residence was in MARYLAND to get a cheaper mortgage and rip off America, when he must LIVE in CALIFORNIA because he was a Congressman from CALIFORNIA. I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook. The FRAUD began with the refinance of his Maryland property on February 6, 2009, and continued through multiple transactions until the Maryland property was correctly designated as a second home on October 13, 2020."

"Mortgage Fraud is very serious, and CROOKED Adam Schiff (now a Senator) needs to be brought to justice."

Trump did not provide any evidence of the alleged fraud. 

SCHIFF RESPONDS TO TRUMP ACCUSATIONS, CALLS FOR HIS REMOVAL FROM OFFICE 

When asked about the accusations later on Tuesday, Trump appeared to soften on the specific accusation. 

"I don't know about the individual charge, if that even happened, but Adam Schiff is a serious lowlife," Trump said.

Schiff was not barred from listing the Maryland homes as his primary residence during his term in Congress, since the Constitution only requires that he be an "inhabitant" of California at the time of his election, not throughout his entire service.

However, Schiff cited two residences, one in California and one in Maryland, as his "principal residence" on multiple mortgage and election forms dating back to 2003, Just the News reported in October. 

GAVIN NEWSOM ‘DETRANSITIONED’ CALIFORNIA FROM BEING THE RICHEST TO THE POOREST

In at least three cases — in 2009, 2011 and 2013 — Schiff refinanced his Maryland home and declared it his "principal residence," while also listing his Burbank, California condo as his primary residence in separate financing documents, the outlet reported. He then changed the notations on his Maryland mortgage to be a secondary residence.

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The pattern was first detected by Christine Bish, a Sacramento-based real estate investigator who ran for Congress as a Republican last year. She filed an ethics complaint against Schiff in Congress.

Schiff said Trump's comments were the latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies and said it would not distract from "his Epstein files problem."

"Since I led his first impeachment, Trump has repeatedly called for me to be arrested for treason," Schiff wrote on X. "So in a way, I guess this is a bit of a letdown. And this baseless attempt at political retribution won’t stop me from holding him accountable. Not by a long shot."

Federal housing official submitted Schiff criminal referral to DOJ over mortgage documents

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., has been referred to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution regarding mortgage documents. 

The director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in May citing alleged misconduct by Schiff, who owns homes in California and Maryland. 

"Based on media reports, Mr. Adam B. Schiff has, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments from 2003-2019 for a Potomac, Maryland-based property," FHFA Director William Pulte wrote in the letter, which Fox News obtained on Wednesday. "As regulator of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, we take very seriously allegations of mortgage fraud or other criminal activity. Such misconduct jeopardizes the safety and soundness of FHFA’s regulated entities and the security and stability of the U.S. mortgage market." 

On Monday, Pulte received a memo from the Fannie Mae financial crimes investigations concluding that Schiff allegedly engaged in "a sustained pattern of possible occupancy misrepresentation" on five Fannie Mae loans, Fox News has learned. 

SCHIFF RESPONDS TO TRUMP ACCUSATIONS, CALLS FOR HIS REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

It is unclear if the Justice Department is pursing action against Schiff at this time, but earlier this week, President Donald Trump did demand his longtime foe be brought to justice for the alleged mortgage fraud scheme. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department for more information, but they did not immediately respond.

Schiff and his wife purchased a home in Potomac, Maryland, in 2003 for $870,000, according to the letter. They entered into a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage agreement for $610,000 at a rate of 5.625% over a term of 30 years, asserting the property would be their primary and principal residence. 

The letter said they reaffirmed that the Maryland home was their primary residence in mortgage refinancing filings in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013, despite Schiff being an elected official representing the state of California at the same time. 

Fox News obtained a copy of the 2011 affidavit showing Schiff signed certifying that the Maryland house is his primary residence. 

Pulte said Schiff and his wife did not list the Maryland home as their secondary residence until 2020. 

Over the same time frame, Schiff took a homeowner’s tax exemption on a condo that he owns in Burbank, California, also claiming that home as his primary residence for a $7,000 reduction off of the 1% property tax, Pulte wrote, citing media reports. 

In 2023, the letter notes, a spokesperson for Schiff asserted that "Adam’s primary residence is Burbank, California, and will remain so when he wins the Senate seat."

"Primary residence mortgages receive more favorable loan terms, including lower interest rates, than secondary residence mortgages," the letter said. "Lenders view secondary residence mortgages as significantly riskier, as a borrower is more likely to continue paying off a primary residence mortgage during any financial hardship. Interest rates on secondary residence mortgages are typically between 0.25-0.50% higher than their primary residence counterparts; however, this gap can widen depending on the lender." 

TRUMP ACCUSES 'SCAM ARTIST' SCHIFF OF LYING ABOUT MARYLAND HOME TO COMMIT MORTGAGE FRAUD

The federal housing official wrote that he believes Schiff's alleged misconduct could be violations of federal criminal codes banning wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and false statements to financial institutions. 

Schiff "appears to have falsified records in order to receive favorable loan terms, and also appears to have been aware of the financial benefits of a primary residence mortgage when compared to a secondary residence mortgage," Pulte wrote. 

According to the letter, a spokesperson for Schiff in 2023 told CNN that, "Adam’s California and Maryland addresses have been listed as primary residences for loan purposes because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property." 

Last year, the letter notes, a federal jury convicted Marilyn Mosby of making false statements on a mortgage application for a Florida condominium when she was the Baltimore City state’s attorney. 

The letter also cited how a St. Louis man pleaded guilty last month to fraudulently obtaining home mortgages "after the hard work of our agency’s IG and the DOJ." 

"There are unfortunately too many examples of individuals who commit fraud or mortgage fraud," Pulte wrote. "As always, we look forward to cooperating with the Department of Justice to support any actions that the Department of Justice finds appropriate. U.S. Federal Housing FHFA appreciates the Department of Justice’s support in ensuring the protection of American homebuyers and taxpayers from mortgage fraud and other financial misconduct."

Trump took to social media on Tuesday demanding Schiff be held accountable. 

"I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist. And now I learn that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division have concluded that Adam Schiff has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud," Trump wrote in part on TRUTH Social. "Mortgage Fraud is very serious, and CROOKED Adam Schiff (now a Senator) needs to be brought to justice." 

Schiff, a congressman until his 2024 election to the upper chamber, spearheaded the House Intelligence Committee impeachment inquiry into Trump for requesting that Ukraine investigate Joe Biden, whose son Hunter held a lucrative gig at a Ukrainian natural gas company during his vice presidency. Schiff also issued multiple subpoenas and held multiple hearings alleging Trump "colluded" with Russia. 

Schiff released a video statement Tuesday reacting to the mortgage fraud claims, saying Trump has long threatened to prosecute him. 

"He's accused me of treason, he's also accused me of leaking classified information, he's accused me of fraud, it's been basically one thing after another, all baseless, all without merit," Schiff said. "It's nothing new – but his attacks on the rule of law are more dangerous than ever."

Trump accuses ‘scam artist’ Schiff of lying about Maryland home to commit mortgage fraud

President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Tuesday morning, amplifying 2024 claims that Schiff committed mortgage fraud by lying about his primary residence for over a decade, which the senator denies.

Trump, in a Truth Social post, labeled Schiff a "scam artist" and claimed he obtained a mortgage for a residence in Maryland in 2009 but only designated it as a second home in 2020 as part of a ruse to snag better rates and terms from the company, which has been in federal conservatorship since the 2008 financial crisis.

The president said Fannie Mae's Financial Crimes Division had uncovered the alleged fraud. Schiff obtained the Maryland property in 2009 while he was a congressman and became a senator in January. Schiff called the accusations "baseless."

WHITE HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS PELOSI HYPOCRISY AFTER SCHIFF DEMANDS TRUMP ADMIN FINANCIAL, ETHICS DOCS

"I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist. And now I learn that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division have concluded that Adam Schiff has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud," Trump wrote.

"Adam Schiff said that his primary residence was in MARYLAND to get a cheaper mortgage and rip off America, when he must LIVE in CALIFORNIA because he was a Congressman from CALIFORNIA. I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook. The FRAUD began with the refinance of his Maryland property on February 6, 2009, and continued through multiple transactions until the Maryland property was correctly designated as a second home on October 13, 2020."

"Mortgage Fraud is very serious, and CROOKED Adam Schiff (now a Senator) needs to be brought to justice."

Trump did not provide any evidence of the alleged fraud. 

When asked about the accusations later on Tuesday, Trump appeared to soften on the specific accusation. 

"I don't know about the individual charge, if that even happened, but Adam Schiff is a serious lowlife," Trump said.

"When you said that you want Adam Schiff brought to justice, what does that mean?" Fox News' Peter Doocy asked, to which Trump said: "I'd love to see him brought to justice."

‘WATERMELON HEAD’: TRUMP TROLLS DEMOCRATIC SEN. ADAM SCHIFF

Schiff was not barred from listing the Maryland home as his primary residence during his term in Congress, since the Constitution only requires that he be an "inhabitant" of California at the time of his election, not throughout his entire service.

However, Schiff cited two residences, one in California and one in Maryland, as his "principal residence" on multiple mortgage and election forms dating back to 2003, Just the News reported in October. 

In at least three cases — in 2009, 2011 and 2013 — Schiff refinanced his Maryland home and declared it his "principal residence," while also listing his Burbank, California condo as his primary residence in separate financing documents, the outlet reported. He then changed the notations on his Maryland mortgage to be a secondary residence.

The pattern was first detected by Christine Bish, a Sacramento-based real estate investigator who ran for Congress as a Republican last year. She filed an ethics complaint against Schiff in Congress.

Schiff said Trump's comments were the latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies and said it would not distract from "his Epstein files problem."

"Since I led his first impeachment, Trump has repeatedly called for me to be arrested for treason," Schiff wrote on X. "So in a way, I guess this is a bit of a letdown. And this baseless attempt at political retribution won’t stop me from holding him accountable. Not by a long shot."

A spokesperson for Schiff said that the accusations have been debunked.

"The lenders who provided the mortgages for both homes were well aware of then-Representative Schiff's Congressional service and of his intended year-round use of both homes, neither of which were vacation homes," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "He has always been completely transparent about this."

The spokesperson did not say whether the Maryland home was designated as a primary residence. Fannie Mae said it would not be commenting on the claims. 

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Trump and Schiff have clashed many times since Trump first became president. 

As ranking member and later chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Schiff became the public face of the congressional probe into the now-debunked theory that Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. Schiff repeatedly suggested there was "ample evidence" of collusion, even when the Mueller report later stated it did not establish a criminal conspiracy. Trump and his Republican allies repeatedly accused Schiff of leaking classified information during the investigation.

Schiff also served as the lead House impeachment manager during Trump’s first impeachment trial, stemming from the president’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while Schiff was also a member of the House Select Committee on Jan. 6, which investigated Trump’s role in the attack on the Capitol. Schiff voted to impeach Trump both times. 

Musk jokes about reconsidering stance on Big Beautiful Bill after Schiff’s praise

Elon Musk appeared to jokingly reconsider his stance on the Big Beautiful Bill after a California Democrat came to his defense.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., wrote on X that "I can't believe I'm saying this – but [Elon Musk] is right." However, that seems to be the last point on which the two agree. They both object to the Big Beautiful Bill, viewing it as full of pork. Musk opposes the bill because he believes it raises government spending too much, while Schiff objects to what he calls its "far-right" content, which he describes as "dangerous."


REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS STAND FIRM AGAINST MUSK'S 'KILL THE BILL' ASSAULT ON TRUMP'S AGENDA

Musk fired off a response rejecting Schiff’s alleged praise of the tech billionaire’s position on the bill.

"Hmm, few things could convince me to reconsider my position more than Adam Schiff agreeing with me!"

On May 30, Musk’s time with the administration came to an end, and he seemed to leave things on good terms. President Donald Trump thanked Musk for his work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and gave him a symbolic "key to the White House" as a parting gift. 

Following his departure from the White House, Musk said he was looking forward "to continuing to be a friend and adviser to the president." However, things took a sharp turn as a feud between Trump and Musk quickly heated up after the Tesla founder began publicly criticizing the Big Beautiful Bill. 

INSIDE THE MUSK-TRUMP FALLOUT

After the legislation passed the House, Musk said that the "massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."

Musk’s criticisms received mixed reactions from Republicans, with some — such as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. — agreeing with him. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was "surprised" by Musk’s reaction and claimed the two of them had a good discussion about the bill.

Trump and Musk then began slugging it out on their respective social media platforms — X and Truth Social — as well as TV. The president told reporters in the Oval Office that he was "very disappointed" with Musk and claimed that the former DOGE head knew what was in the bill, something that Musk denied. 

TRUMP NOT INTERESTED IN TALKING TO MUSK: 'ELON'S TOTALLY LOST IT'

The heated exchange led to two explosive tweets, both of which were later deleted. In one post, Musk claimed Trump was mentioned in files relating to Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased sex offender and disgraced financier. In his other post, Musk endorsed a message that called for Trump’s impeachment and said that Vice President J.D. Vance should take over.

While it’s unclear whether Trump and Musk will reconcile, for now it seems unlikely. Trump told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier that he was not interested in talking to Musk and that "Elon’s totally lost it."