Lutnick suggests Lisa Cook's refusal to accept Trump firing from Fed supports fraud claim

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested Tuesday that Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook's refusal to willingly permission bureau aft President Donald Trump said helium was firing her supported the assertion that she had committed mortgage fraud.

"A politician of the Federal Reserve virtually signs her sanction and commits owe fraud, right?" Lutnick said connected CNBC's "Squawk Box," a time aft Trump told Cook helium was ousting her from the cardinal bank.

"It's alleged that she's committed owe fraud, and she says 'I'm not going anywhere,'" Lutnick said.

"Well, the crook ever says 'I'm not going anywhere.'"

Cook said Monday nighttime that Trump "has nary authority" to occurrence her due to the fact that helium lacked immoderate ineligible origin to bash so.

"I volition not resign," said Cook, who has not been charged oregon convicted of immoderate crime.

She has hired high-powered Washington, D.C., lawyer Abbe Lowell to combat her ouster. The Supreme Court could extremity up resolving the dispute.

CNBC has requested remark from Lowell connected Lutnick's statements astir Cook.

The Justice Department is investigating Cook aft Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte alleged she made mendacious statements connected applications for location mortgages.

Pulte has echoed Trump's criticisms of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the cardinal slope for refusing to little involvement rates. Cook has been among the governors voting to clasp rates steady.

Lutnick connected Tuesday said, "The existent question should be, did she perpetrate owe fraud?"

"Yes oregon no, and if you did perpetrate owe fraud, delight get retired of the national government," helium said. "Get retired of the spot of the politician of the Federal Reserve and spell away. You don't merit to beryllium determination if you've committed owe fraud, right?"

Lutnick said helium did not cognize who had the authorization to halt Cook from being paid, oregon to crook disconnected her carnal entree to the Fed.

And helium punted erstwhile asked if Trump would effort to occurrence Powell for origin if the Fed seat did not chopped disconnected Cook's wage and gathering access.

"These are each 'what-if scenarios,'" Lutnick said.

"The reply is, the Department of Justice volition spell instrumentality this connected and woody with this," helium said.

"But the information is, if this pistillate committed owe fraud, she should beryllium respectful to the United States of America, to the Federal Reserve, wherever she says she cared astir them, and she should spell disconnected into the sunset and anticipation to God the constabulary don't travel her, right?"

"I mean, ideate anyone successful the Cabinet who did this. You guys would beryllium calling for their head," Lutnick said.

"This pistillate should spell distant if she's committed to owe fraud, and those signatures definite arsenic heck look similar hers."