In October 2024, an ethics complaint was filed alleging that Schiff’s residency claims constituted mortgage fraud and potentially made him ineligible to run for office in California. Schiff has denied any wrongdoing and has never been charged with a crime.
Fannie Mae has not publicly acknowledged any investigation or conclusions regarding Schiff. A spokesperson for the agency declined to comment when contacted by reporters.
Schiff Fires Back: ‘This Is Retaliation’
In a response posted to X (formerly Twitter), Schiff dismissed the accusation as political theater and referenced Trump’s ongoing struggles with transparency around the Epstein case.
“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,” Schiff wrote.
“This is just Donald Trump’s latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies. And much as Trump may hope, this smear will not distract from his Epstein files problem.”
Schiff’s office issued a follow-up statement rejecting Trump’s claims as baseless:
“As is routine for a member of Congress representing a district thousands of miles away from Washington with kids to raise, then-Representative Schiff made the decision to buy a home in Maryland,” a spokesperson said.
“He also maintained a home in California where he lived when not in Washington. 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 properties.”
The statement added that Schiff has always been fully transparent about his real estate holdings and that the insinuation of fraud is “politically motivated nonsense.”
A Familiar Target in a New Storm
Schiff has long been in Trump’s crosshairs. As lead impeachment manager during Trump’s first Senate trial in 2020 and a central figure in the House’s Russia investigation, the California Democrat has become a perennial lightning rod for MAGA loyalists.
But this new wave of attacks — surfacing just as Trump faces blowback for backing away from his vow to release all Epstein-related documents — has critics calling it a diversionary tactic.
Meanwhile, Schiff has continued to apply pressure of his own. Just last week, he called for an insider trading investigation into Trump’s recent tariffs announcement, further inflaming tensions.
As pressure mounts on both sides of the aisle to increase transparency, especially in cases involving high-profile financial and political misconduct, it appears the Trump–Schiff feud is once again becoming a political powder keg — one fueled by old grievances and the explosive mystery still surrounding the Epstein saga.