Bill Pulte accused Fed Governor Lisa Cook of fraud. His relatives filed housing claims similar to hers: Reuters

Close relatives of the national authoritative who has accused a Federal Reserve politician of improperly claiming superior residence connected 2 properties person declared the aforesaid presumption connected 2 homes successful 2 antithetic states, nationalist records show.

Mark and Julie Pulte, the begetter and stepmother of Bill Pulte, President Donald Trump's appointee arsenic manager of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, since 2020 person claimed alleged "homestead exemptions" for residences successful affluent neighborhoods successful some Michigan and Florida, according to the records. The exemption is meant to springiness a discount to homeowners connected taxes for properties they usage arsenic their superior residence.

Local taxation officials successful some states told Reuters that claiming much than 1 location arsenic a superior residence isn't mostly allowed successful their jurisdictions and could beryllium punishable by fines oregon backmost taxes. After Reuters contacted taxation officials successful Bloomfield Township, Michigan, to inquire astir the dual claims, Darrin Kraatz, manager of assessing, connected Thursday said the township "as of today" would revoke the exemption connected the Pultes' residence there.

According to nationalist existent property records, and a nonmigratory astatine the Michigan location connected Thursday evening, the location was rented retired by the Pultes this year, a determination that besides violates rules for the exemption. "Revised taxation bills volition beryllium issued to the Pultes, including each applicable punishment and interest," Kraatz said by email. He didn't respond to a follow-up question astir the worth of immoderate outgo present owed and Reuters couldn't find a precise fig for erstwhile taxation payments they person made.

Officials successful Florida, citing the assertion for exemption successful that authorities arsenic older, said immoderate struggle with the 2nd exemption would request to beryllium addressed successful Michigan.

Reuters was incapable to scope Mark oregon Julie Pulte for comment. Representatives astatine Mark Pulte's concern and a Pulte household instauration didn't respond to telephone calls oregon emails seeking remark for this story.

Officials astatine the FHFA, the national bureau led by Bill Pulte, didn't respond to a petition for comment. The quality bureau was incapable to scope him otherwise.

The assertion of much than 1 spot arsenic a superior residence has been the ground for Bill Pulte's accusations against Lisa Cook, the Federal Reserve politician Trump fired arsenic a effect and who has since filed suit against the president to combat the dismissal. Pulte referred the substance to the lawyer general, prompting a probe of Cook by the Justice Department.

In summation to that ceremonial enactment against Cook, Pulte successful caller days has made aggregate nationalist statements against her, accusing her of defrauding owe lenders and the public. "Financial fraud is simply a large deal," Pulte wrote past play connected X, the societal media site, to his 3 cardinal followers. "Don't bash it!"

He besides criticized Cook aft learning she rented retired 1 of the homes that she had declared arsenic a superior residence. "Lisa Cook's declared 'PRIMARY RESIDENCE' is being RENTED retired to tenants," helium wrote successful different X post.

Cook has repeatedly denied immoderate wrongdoing. "How Governor Cook described her properties," her lawyer wrote successful a connection connected Thursday, is "not fraud."

In the store of the Michigan house, connected a quiescent cul-de-sac with wood-shingled homes and manicured yards, a antheral told Reuters that helium lives astatine the spot arsenic a tenant and doesn't cognize the sanction of the homeowner. He declined to beryllium identified by sanction oregon accidental done whom oregon however agelong helium has been renting the property.

'They got lucky'

The Pulte family, which roseate to prominence with a lodging empire started successful Michigan by Mark Pulte's father, is progressive successful blimpish circles. Both Mark and his wife, electoral records show, person made aggregate run contributions to Republican candidates and causes.

In summation to founding his ain lodging institution successful Florida, wherever helium has specialized successful gathering luxury properties, Mark Pulte is simply a elder authoritative astatine a Pulte household foundation. His high-profile existent property activities person included the 2021 merchantability of a spot for $122.7 million, a grounds for Palm Beach astatine the time. Years earlier, the spot had been among Trump's Florida holdings.

In his comments to Senate officials for his confirmation arsenic manager of the national lodging agency, Bill Pulte thanked his begetter and stepmother for their support. He said helium grew up visiting operation sites of homes built by his begetter and grandfather. In past nationalist statements helium has said that Mark helped concern Pulte Capital Partners, the Florida-based backstage equity steadfast Bill founded.

The homestead exemptions claimed by Mark and Julie Pulte, 8 taxation and existent property experts told Reuters, would typically beryllium permissible lone successful a uncommon objection that tin beryllium made for a mates successful which spouses are conducting wholly autarkic lives – surviving separately astatine the 2 addresses, separating their finances and filing their taxes individually. Reuters couldn't find whether the Pultes qualified for specified an exemption oregon had utilized specified grounds to warrant their homestead claims.

"It's not thing that either authorities mostly lets you get distant with," said Lisa Bender, a longtime existent property cause successful some Michigan and Florida. Bender said she personally knows the ins-and-outs of the homestead exemptions due to the fact that she besides owns properties successful some states. "I privation I could assertion both," she said. "Somehow they got lucky."

No owe records beryllium for the Michigan and Florida properties, which suggests the Pultes apt paid for the homes successful cash, existent property experts said. By paying little taxes connected some homes, they added, the mates is contributing little than they different would to nationalist coffers, including backing for country schools.

On properties similar those owned by the Pultes, the exemptions tin adhd up to thousands of dollars successful savings each year. On the Florida home, successful Boca Raton, the exemption saved the Pultes an estimated $158,000 successful taxes for 2025, according to officials with the taxation assessor's bureau successful Palm Beach County, the spot taxation jurisdiction. The region granted an further exemption connected the spot due to the fact that the location – a waterfront location with marble floors, in-ground pool, and a vessel dock – surpasses a definite worth threshold, the records indicate.

The Pultes bought the Boca Raton location successful 2016 for $4.25 cardinal and aboriginal transferred the rubric to a ineligible entity successful which they are some listed arsenic beneficiaries, the records show. Mark Pulte filed the exemption request.

On the Michigan property, listed arsenic a four-bedroom location with sauna and purchased for astir $1 cardinal successful 2020, some spouses are named connected a spot that owns the house. Julie Pulte claimed the exemption there.

When contacted by Reuters astir the dual exemptions, Nery Mejia, an exemptions manager for the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser's Office, said the bureau would look into it. In a follow-up by email, she said the paperwork successful Florida is valid and predates the Michigan claim. "Based connected this," she wrote, "the substance should beryllium handled by Michigan."

It isn't wide however overmuch the Pultes whitethorn person saved each twelvemonth due to the fact that of the Michigan claim, but connected Friday spot records already indicated the exemption determination is present zero.