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A federal grand jury in Maryland is now investigating whether officials under President Donald Trump assigned unauthorized personnel to mortgage fraud cases against U.S. Senator Adam Schiff of California and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Christine Bish, a California Republican and witness in the Schiff mortgage fraud case, said that prosecutors on Thursday were less interested in the evidence she said she had against the California senator than they were in a possible collusion to appoint someone not properly deputized to handle the cases.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Justice (DOJ) via submission form on Thursday afternoon for comment.
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Why It Matters
Trump appeared to order U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to target certain individuals who have been critical of the president, including Schiff, a Democrat, and James, as well as former FBI Director James Comey, writing on Truth Social: "We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!! President DJT."
The DOJ then opened cases against the three, with Schiff and James accused of committing mortgage fraud, and the pair have gone after the administration for its handling of the cases—chiefly, that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan was appointed outside of the original window.
The DOJ pushed back on the Halligan matter, saying that even if she is improperly serving, the indictments should stand because the issue amounts to a "paperwork error," according to courtroom reporting by CNN.
Separately, prosecutors admitted that the grand jury never saw the indictment against Comey, which the former FBI director's lawyers argue warrants dismissing the indictment.
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What To Know
The newest potential roadblock for the mortgage fraud cases arose Thursday with reports that the Maryland grand jury is looking to determine if Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte and DOJ prosecutor Ed Martin have used unauthorized personnel in the cases.
Preet Bharara, representing Schiff, previously told Newsweek that Martin is "the most brazenly partisan and politically compromised person possible for the task," arguing that the fact he was picked to investigate Schiff showed a "glaring" bias in the case.
Bish, who is running for the California House of Representatives, in the summer said on Newsmax that she had a whistleblower ready to discuss evidence that Schiff committed mortgage fraud, but during her Thursday appearance before the Maryland grand jury, prosecutors had other priorities.
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She said that the prosecutors spent more time talking about whether there was "conspiracy or collusion" to target Schiff.
“If they’re trying to tie me into some kind of clandestine conspiracy, it’s not there, and the best way to protect myself is to be open and honest and public,” Bish told CNN on Thursday, adding: “Something’s not adding up. And I haven’t gotten to the bottom of it yet, but I will.”
“They assured me, when they interviewed me, that the focus of the investigation was Adam Schiff. And I kept pulling the testimony back to Schiff, but it seemed like they were looking for more—stuff that doesn’t exist,” Bish said.
She added: “You know—had I ever talked to Director Pulte? Had I ever talked to Ed Martin? Did I have any communication with them? And that’s where the conversation kept going back, so I don’t know if they’re on a fishing exposition, expedition, or you know, what’s going on.”
The subjects of the probe or what the investigators are trying to determine remain unclear.
What Happens Next
The investigation into the cases against Schiff and James will continue unfolding, with further clarity expected on the scope and exact targets of the probe.
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