President Donald Trump on Tuesday tapped Bill Pulte, who heads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as acting director of national intelligence, putting the growing U.S. intelligence community in the hands of supporters targeting the president’s enemies.
President Trump’s current DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, announced last month that she would resign from her position effective June 30.
Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the selection that Pruitt, who has no experience in the intelligence community, will retain his existing titles as FHFA board member and chairman of mortgage groups Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
President Trump previously announced that Aaron Lucas, deputy chief of staff for national intelligence, would become acting director of national intelligence after Gabbard leaves office.
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for clarification on when Pulte’s term at DNI would begin or whether Lucas would remain in his current position.
“William has extensive experience managing America’s most sensitive issues, market safety and integrity, and over $10 trillion in transactions at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, a significant increase from just 12 months ago,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social.
Pruitt, who heads the usually low-profile Housing Regulatory Authority, sparked a heated controversy by raising allegations of mortgage-related fraud against several of Trump’s political opponents.
Last year, Mr. Prut filed criminal charges against Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve official, on mortgage fraud charges after Mr. Cook claimed two different properties as his primary residence at the same time.
Mr. Trump, who had long called on the Fed to lower interest rates and frequently complained about the central bank’s inaction, tried to fire Mr. Cook over the mortgage scandal.
Cook filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop her from firing. Her case is currently before the Supreme Court.
Pruitt also filed a criminal complaint against New York State Attorney General Letitia James for allegedly falsifying bank documents and property records in connection with a mortgage loan she obtained in 2020.
Mr. James was indicted in October on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. In November, a federal judge ruled that the appointment of the interim U.S. attorney who prosecuted the case, President Trump’s former lawyer Lindsey Harrigan, was invalid and dismissed her case.
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