Fed Governor Lisa Cook claimed 2nd residence as ‘vacation home,’ undercutting Trump fraud claims

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and CHRISTOPHER RUGABER WASHINGTON AP Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook referred to a condominium she purchased in June as a vacation home in a loan estimate a characterization that could undermine alleges by the Trump administration that she committed mortgage fraud Related Articles The EPA wants to end a requirement that large polluters review their greenhouse gas emissions Trump administration to award a no-bid contract on research into vaccines and autism California lawmakers pass bill barring officers from wearing face masks Lawsuit says US held West African settlers in straitjackets for hours on flight to Ghana Man arrested in Charlie Kirk s killing had no known criminal history had become more political President Donald Trump has sought to fire Cook for cause relying on claims that Cook claimed both the condo and another property as her primary residence simultaneously as he looks to reshape the central bank to orchestrate a steep cut to interest rates Documents obtained by The Associated Press also manifested that on a second form submitted by Cook to gain a safety clearance she described the property as a second home Cook sued the Trump administration to block her firing the first time a president has sought to remove a member of the seven-person board of governors Cook secured an injunction Tuesday that allows her to remain as a Fed governor The administration has appealed the ruling and demanded for an urgency ruling by Monday just before the Fed is set to meet and decide whether to reduce its key interest rate The greater part economists expect they will cut the rate by a quarter point Bill Pulte a Trump appointee to the agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has accused Cook of signing separate documents in which she allegedly noted that both the Atlanta property and a home in Ann Arbor Michigan also purchased in June were both primary residences Pulte submitted a criminal referral to the Justice Department which has opened an examination Claiming a home as a primary residence can end in better down payment and mortgage terms than if one of the homes is classified as a vacation home The descriptions of Cook s properties were first disclosed by Reuters Fulton County tax records show Cook has never claimed a homestead exemption on the condo which allows someone who uses a property as their primary residence to reduce their property taxes since buying it in The White House did not right now respond to a request for comment AP writer Jeff Amy in Atlanta contributed to this statement