"Donald Trump's second term has been an exercise in projection. After years of insisting the federal government was engaged in a " witch hunt " against him, he has turned its machinery on his own enemies, critics, and anyone who stands in the way of his agenda. Yet, what makes this shift remarkable is not simply that Trump is targeting his adversaries."
"Rather than relying on splashy accusations that usually dominate cable news, such as corruption, election interference, even sedition, Trump is taking down his opponents over claims of mortgage fraud. It's a new twist on a long, ugly tradition. Trump's use of mortgage fraud is relatively novel, but he's far from the first president to use the federal government's vast trove of financial data as a political cudgel."
Donald Trump has shifted federal investigative tools toward his political opponents, focusing on allegations of mortgage fraud. He has accused and taken action against figures including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, Sen. Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Mortgage fraud involves intentional misstatements on loan applications, such as falsifying income, assets, or occupancy intentions. Penalties can include millions in fines and decades-long prison sentences, though such charges rarely end political careers. Mortgage fraud allegations are appealing because they leave extensive paper trails. The federal government controls vast financial records, making such misconduct relatively easy to detect and weaponize for political purposes.
Read at Slate Magazine
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