The Justice Department pushed back against claims that the case against California Sen. Adam Schiff (D) isn’t strong.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche “unequivocally” denied a report from MSNBC that Maryland’s U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes said the case was weak.
Schiff, a Democratic senator from California, is under investigation in Maryland for mortgage fraud.
Ken Dilanian, a justice and intelligence reporter for MSNBC, tweeted that Hayes met with Blanche and said the case against Schiff was “not strong.”
Blanche refuted the report in a tweet, calling the meeting “made-up” and insisting no such statement was made.
“Breaking: @DilanianMSNBC reports on a recent meeting that never happened,” Blanche wrote. “U.S. Attorney Hayes has told me no such thing.”
Schiff’s lawyer, former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara, also weighed in, calling the allegations politically motivated and unsupported by evidence.
“It seems pretty clear that a team of career prosecutors have thoroughly reviewed the politically-motivated allegations against Senator Schiff and found they are unsupported by any evidence and are baseless,” Bharara said.
Dilanian had claimed Hayes believed the case “cannot be won” and should not proceed, though Blanche strongly denied that characterization, the Conservative Brief reported.
Conservative Brief reported that in 2024 Schiff listed both his California and Maryland homes as his “principal residence” in mortgage and election filings, raising potential fraud concerns.
In May, FHFA Director William Pulte sent a letter to Blanche and Pam Bondi outlining Schiff’s alleged misconduct.
“Based on media reports, Mr. Adam B. Schiff has, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms,” Pulte wrote, noting impacts on payments from 2003 to 2019.
Pulte emphasized that mortgage fraud threatens the stability of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks.
A memo from Fannie Mae financial crimes investigators in July alleged Schiff engaged in a “sustained pattern of possible occupancy misrepresentation” across five Fannie Mae loans.
Schiff previously served as both ranking member and chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
He was a key proponent of the Trump-Russia collusion narrative and frequently cited Christopher Steele’s dossier, which has since been discredited.
In March 2017, Schiff read unverified claims from the dossier into the congressional record.
Reports also indicate a longtime Democratic intelligence staffer warned the FBI that Schiff authorized leaks of classified information to damage President Trump.
The FBI memos documenting these warnings were later provided to Congress by Director Kash Patel.
Hayes, meanwhile, is also overseeing the case against former Trump National Security Advisor John Bolton.
Blanche’s denial and Bharara’s statement counter the narrative that the Justice Department views the Schiff case as weak.
The controversy illustrates the partisan tensions surrounding high-profile investigations involving prominent Democrats.
Observers say the dispute over reporting underscores the sensitivity of DOJ communications and media claims.
The Maryland investigation remains ongoing, with no indication that DOJ leadership has altered its stance on pursuing the case.
