Exclusive: Fed Governor Cook declared her Atlanta property as "vacation home," documents show

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

September 12, 2025 5:34 PM EDT Updated 8 hours ago


WASHINGTON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - A loan estimate for an Atlanta home purchased by Lisa Cook, the Federal Reserve governor accused of mortgage fraud by the Trump administration, shows that Cook had declared the property as a “vacation home,” according to a document reviewed by Reuters.

The document, dated May 28, 2021, was issued to Cook by her credit union in the weeks before she completed the purchase and shows that she had told the lender that the Atlanta property wouldn’t be her primary residence.

The document appears to counter other documentation that Cook’s critics have cited in support of their claims that she committed mortgage fraud by reporting two different homes as her primary residence, two independent real-estate experts said.

Reuters was unable to reach Cook for comment. She has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing regarding her properties , which also include a home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and an investment property in Massachusetts.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fed-governor-cook-declared-her-atlanta-property-vacation-home-documents-show-2025-09-12/

[AZJonnie]

1. Hey Reuters, you could have EASILY made your headline much more clear!

How's this: Documents show Fed Governor Cook properly declared her Atlanta property as "vacation home".

Just one more word and a slight reorder, and anyone reading the headline understands the "this means she did nothing wrong". Instead, the way it's written now, you have to be pretty up on the story to glean that this means the Trump Admin is full of shit, and at glance might interpret it as "she did something wrong".

Because of how many times I've noticed similarly poor wording from Reuters and AP both, I have to question whether they do this on purpose (even if incompetence is more likely)?

[BumRushDaShow]

3. They were the first to report this overnight and others are slowly coming around

I just spotted this from NBC News, that posted a story late last night -

Lisa Cook's bank documents appear to contradict Trump administration's mortgage fraud allegations

So far, everyone else is still stroking their martyr.

[AZJonnie]

14. That is a MUCH better headline!

Glad to see some outlets getting it right at least. Thanks

[BumRushDaShow]

15. Huff Post has their own variation

Fed Governor Cook Actually Did Declare Her Atlanta Property As Vacation Home: Reuters

Since Reuters is a UK publication, they may be playing it "conservative" when it comes to headlines as they generally do!

[AZJonnie]

16. Good! Like I say, its really not difficult to come up with a much more appropriate/clarifying headline

[FBaggins]

2. Not as much of a difference as the author implies

The primary accusations involve two other properties and less on this third one… but declaring a property as a vacation or second home is still a problem for her if (as reported) there are tenants living in the home.

There’s still a lower rate and an affidavit signed under oath involved.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. NBC news posted a story overnight that I just found and they were looking at the same documents

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/lisa-cook-federal-reserve-bank-documents-mortgage-fraud-allegations-rcna230964

The PROBLEM is how this loon guy in the FHA has characterized her forms, claiming she made these properties her "primary residence" and she did NOT, and he carefully left out info. From the above link -

Lisa Cook's bank documents appear to contradict Trump administration's mortgage fraud allegations

Sept. 12, 2025, 10:06 PM EDT
By Steve Kopack

(snip)

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte and President Donald Trump, who has moved to fire Cook, have accused the central bank board member of passing off the property as her main residence for financial gain. Cook has repeatedly denied the allegation, and administration officials have not provided definitive evidence supporting their claims.

A loan summary from the Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union in May 2021 reads: “Property Use: Vacation Home.” Additionally, public records in Fulton County, Georgia, reviewed by NBC News show that no tax exemptions available for a primary residence were sought by Cook.

A second document obtained by NBC News, Cook’s “questionnaire for national security positions," which was submitted to the Biden administration in late 2021 and later the Senate, lists a question that reads: “Please list all of your interests in real property, including additional homes, vacation homes, rental properties, and interests in trusts that may hold property.” Cook responded by writing “2nd home” followed by the address of the Atlanta property.

(snip)

Pulte has also said in recent interviews and in social media postings that Cook "made misrepresentations about her mortgages to the Federal Government when she was a Governor." Cook’s national security questionnaire was filed with the Biden administration in December 2021. Cook joined the Fed after being confirmed by the Senate in May 2022.

(snip)

People need to stop trying to accept the RW loon fucking framing when their past practices have been and continue to be, manufactured bullshit.

[louis-t]

10. It is NOT a "problem for her".

There is no difference in taxes or mortgage rates on a home that is a vacation home, as opposed to a rental home. You can rent out your vacation home.

[FBaggins]

11. Sorry - that's flat wrong

You can later convert a home that was originally your primary or 2nd residence… but you can’t purchase an investment property at rates as low as the other two.

And the ere can absolutely be different tax rates - but that varies by state. I have no idea re: the ones involved.

[rampartd]

18. what?

if i buy a home for vacation and later rent it out, anything i declared on the mortgage application is irrelevant.

[FBaggins]

19. That depends a great deal on what you mean by "later"

And “rent it out”

If you buy a 2nd home and a couple years later turn it into an investment property… you’re probably fine. If you buy it as a vacation home and put it on airbnb for a number of weeks in the offseason… again you’re probably fine.

If you say that you’re buying it as a 2nd/vacation home and a few months later you’ve leased it to full time tenants - you’ve probably committed a felony.

A sample occupancy affidavit

https://wholesale.thelender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/theLender-Occupancy-Affidavit.pdf

[mdbl]

5. Sounds like Lisa Cook has reasons to bring a lawsuit against the administration

Last edited Mon Sep 15, 2025, 05:04 PM - Edit history (1)

At least to shed more light on their crooked ways.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Pulte's parents and 3 cabinet Secretaries are accused of fraud that Pulte slammed against Cook. . . . nt

[Redleg]

7. But Cook is still guilty of being a black woman

the mortgage thing is just a pretext.

[surfered]

8. Why aren't they investigating TX AG Paxton's three mortgages that he reportedly claimed as his primary residences?

[Baitball Blogger]

9. Trump should be sued for defamation.

[Clouds Passing]

12. So?

[republianmushroom]

13. Damn, she didn't lie.

But than again she is not a republican politician which is what they do, "LIE".

[Evolve Dammit]

17. The Orange Julius just NEEDS total control. Cheetolini.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

20. Lisa Cook's latest filing before the court of appeals disputes the fact that there was any mortgage fraud

Judge Cobb found that there was no cause to fire Lisa Cook. trump is appealing to the DC Circuit which has set a very short time frame for briefing.

Link to tweet

Here is Lisa Cook's filing which is a fun read.

Link to tweet

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cadc.42372/gov.uscourts.cadc.42372.01208775253.0.pdf

I was pleased to see that this filing contained a footnote on the recently disclosed facts that showed that Lisa Cook did NOT commit mortgage fraud

6The complete property records reveal the opposite. See, e.g., Fed Governor Lisa Cook claimed 2nd residence as ‘vacation home,’ undercutting Trump fraud claims, Assoc. Press (Sept. 12, 2025), https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-lisa-cook trump-852820c83e5001ec3b6e2d14047965c9 (affirming, based on the review of bank documents, that Governor Cook designated her Atlanta property for use as a “Vacation Home”).

I have not seen the trump fling which was supposed to be flied this afternoon. I suspect that trump will object to these facts cited above.

[DrFunkenstein]

21. Trump Lives at A Social Club Because He Declares Himself an Employee

The same social club that he listed as worth $18 million for the taxman, and $612 million on his financial statements.

This sort of fraud has no place in the Trump administration. The Lisa Cook one, obviously...

[LetMyPeopleVote]

22. MaddowBlog-Trump's case against the Fed's Lisa Cook goes from bad to worse

The White House’s claim against Cook is rooted in the idea that she committed mortgage fraud, and now there’s fresh evidence to suggest she did not.

Remove Bill Pulte. Remove Donald Trump.

Trump’s case against the Fed’s Lisa Cook goes from bad to worse
www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

#GOPTraitors #TrumpDidThis #RepublicansDidThis #GOPKakistocracy #AmericanFascistParty #Project2025 #NoRepublicansEverAgain #USPol

— Democracy Matters! (@democracymatters.bsky.social) 2025-09-15T20:08:47.339Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-case-feds-lisa-cook-goes-bad-worse-rcna231451

There’s no shortage of problems with this, but an especially important one emerged late last week. NBC News reported:

Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook declared in financial forms that her Atlanta property would be used as a ‘vacation home’ and not her primary residence, according to documents obtained by NBC News that appear to undercut the Trump administration’s allegations of mortgage fraud.

.......So, the administration is giving up? Of course not. The New York Times reported:

The Trump administration sought to convince a federal court on Sunday that President Trump possesses vast powers and ‘discretion’ to fire federal officials, as it raced to block Lisa Cook, a governor on the Federal Reserve, from participating in this week’s meeting of the central bank.

A federal district court ruled last week that Cook can only be legally ousted for cause, and the White House has failed to meet that threshold. The administration’s lawyers have appealed that ruling, insisting that Trump’s power is “unreviewable.”

The case is now pending at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, though time is of the essence. The Times’ report added, “The Trump administration has asked the appellate panel to stay that order and rule by the end of Monday, ahead of the Fed’s two-day meeting, which begins on Tuesday.”

Again, no one is even bothering with the pretense that the administration is scrambling to oust Cook because of a desperate need for swift justice related to the mortgage bureaucracy. Rather, the White House sees an opponent that it’s eager to remove from the board. Watch this space.