Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California filed a federal civil lawsuit against Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, alleging that Pulte violated privacy protections while seeking criminal referrals against political figures.

Swalwell, who is running for governor of California, submitted the 19-page complaint in federal court and accused Pulte of misusing confidential financial information.

BREAKING: Rep Eric Swalwell is reportedly being REFERRED to the Justice Department for CRIMINAL PROSECUTION pic.twitter.com/evmrkbKXqb

— A Man Of Memes (@RickyDoggin) November 24, 2025

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According to the lawsuit, Pulte referred Swalwell to the Department of Justice for alleged mortgage and tax fraud after obtaining records tied to federally backed housing programs.

The filing said the information involved mortgage data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

“Pulte’s brazen practice of obtaining confidential mortgage records from Fannie Mae and/or Freddie Mac and then using them as a basis for referring individual homeowners to DOJ for prosecution is unprecedented and unlawful,” the lawsuit stated.

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Swalwell addressed the filing on social media.

“Today I have filed a civil lawsuit against FHA director Bill Pulte for violating the Privacy Act and First Amendment,” he wrote.

He added that “Director Pulte has combed through private records of political opponents. To silence them. There’s a reason the First Amendment — the freedom of speech — comes before all others.”

My statement on my lawsuit against Director Bill Pulte. pic.twitter.com/kxIoQnth6s

— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) November 25, 2025

The lawsuit said the referral against Swalwell was sent at the same time he was preparing to announce his gubernatorial campaign.

Swalwell claimed the referral came “at a critical juncture in his career: the very moment when he had planned to announce his campaign for Governor of California.”

Pulte has played a role in several high-profile criminal referral efforts.

He was involved in the referrals brought against New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Those charges were dismissed by a federal judge on Monday, though officials in the Trump administration said they would appeal the ruling.

The filing noted that Pulte also supported criminal referrals targeting Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California and Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook.

Swalwell’s lawsuit pointed to these actions as part of what he described as an effort by Pulte to pursue charges against individuals who opposed the administration.

The congressman said the practice involved accessing and reviewing loan information that would normally remain protected under federal privacy laws.

CBS News reported that the Federal Housing Finance Agency did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit or the allegations involving mortgage data.

In addition to his formal court filing and social media remarks, Swalwell included a quote from author George Orwell, writing, “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”

The quotation appeared at the end of his public statement and was included in coverage of the lawsuit.

The filing marks the latest legal dispute involving public officials in California ahead of the state’s gubernatorial race.

Swalwell’s complaint will move forward in federal court, where the parties are expected to address the questions raised about mortgage data, the Privacy Act, and the circumstances surrounding the Justice Department referral.

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