Swalwell drops lawsuit against FHFA director over using private information to attack opponents as California governor bid heats up

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., has dropped his lawsuit against Bill Pulte which accused the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency of weaponizing mortgage fraud investigations to target critics of President Donald Trump.Swalwell — a California gubernatorial candidate — filed the lawsuit in November, arguing that Pulte unlawfully accessed and disclosed his private mortgage records in violation of federal privacy law and the First Amendment's "bedrock prohibition on viewpoint-based retaliation.""Director Pulte has combed through private records of political opponents. To silence them," Swalwell posted in a statement at the time on X. Swalwell, a seven-term congressman and House impeachment manager during Trump's second impeachment, has long been one of the most vocal critics of the president.Pulte had referred Swalwell to the Department of Justice over claims that the congressman may have made false or misleading statements in loan documents for a Washington home. Swalwell called the claims "patently false."Swalwell's decision to drop the suit comes as his gubernatorial opponents have raised questions about his eligibility to run for California's top post, with rival Democrat Tom Steyer accusing Swalwell of living in California "on paper only."A separate lawsuit attempting to block Swalwell from appearing on the ballot, brought by conservative filmmaker Joel Gilbert, was tentatively rejected Friday after a California judge found sufficient evidence that he had lived in the state for the required five years.Pulte did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Swalwell campaign also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2026 Versant Media, LLC.

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