“I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist,” said President Donald Trump.
Longtime Democratic fixture in Congress and U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA)—perhaps best known for his leadership role in the first impeachment of Donald Trump—is now under investigation following a criminal referral to the Department of Justice over alleged mortgage fraud. The referral, submitted by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), accuses Schiff of manipulating loan documents and misrepresenting his primary residence in order to secure favorable mortgage terms on a home in Maryland.
As is often the case with Schiff, the Senator blamed President Donald Trump and says the incident is nothing more than a personal vendetta.
“This is just Donald Trump’s latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies,” Schiff said in a statement. “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.”
Schiff doubled down in a recent social media post: “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.”
According to a letter sent in May by FHFA Director William Pulte to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the agency uncovered repeated instances in which Schiff allegedly falsified documents to misrepresent his Potomac property as a primary residence.
“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,” the letter reads. “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.”
Thus far, Schiff has leaned on the defense that it’s not unusual for members of Congress to maintain dual residences: “Just about every member of Congress has a residence in their state, and a residence back in D.C., since we’re in session much of the week,” Schiff explained. “And, people make a family decision, where they’re gonna have their kids.”
He also claimed in November of 2023 that his family’s primary residence has always been in California, and that it always will be.
His filings suggest otherwise. In 2011, Schiff signed an affidavit certifying the Maryland home as his primary residence. That certification was part of a series of refinancing filings—also signed by Schiff and his wife—in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013, all of which reaffirmed the Potomac property as their main residence.
It wasn’t until 2020—after nearly two decades of claiming the Maryland property as primary—that the Schiffs listed it as a secondary home.
A spokesperson for Schiff has since attempted to split the difference, stating that both homes have functioned as primary residences, depending on the time of year, due to the family’s bicoastal lifestyle. But that spin conflicts with the binary nature of mortgage applications, which require borrowers to designate a single property as their principal residence. Exceptions are not made for Senators.
Nevertheless, Schiff insists that “we were informed that both could be listed as principal or primary residences.”
Schiff’s allies in the Senate, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), have remained quiet on the matter. Conversely, and expectedly, the same can not be said for President Trump, who has likened Schiff’s alleged actions to “[ripping] off America.”
“I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist,” the President said on Truth Social. “Mortgage Fraud is very serious, and CROOKED Adam Schiff (now a Senator) needs to be brought to justice.”
“It is extremely serious and [Schiff] is not taking it seriously,” a senior administration official told the New York Post.
The Post’s reporting mentions that Schiff could face a criminal count for every instance he paid his monthly mortgage bill.
“I would have thought he covered his bases a little bit better than that,” the President told reporters on the White House lawn. “Adam Schiff is a low-life, he deserves what he gets.”
