How Trump’s ‘no shrinking violets’ DOJ is digging in on Schiff’s mortgage dealings as legal peril looms
The Department of Justice is likely digging into Sen. Adam Schiff’s mortgage paperwork trail stretching back to a Maryland home purchase from the early 2000s as it weighs whether it has an airtight case to potentially prosecute the longtime political foe of President Donald Trump, according to a Cornell Law School professor. “The one thing they don’t want to do is to bring a case that fails,” William Jacobson told Fox Digital in a Zoom interview, referring to the DOJ potentially investigating Schiff’s alleged mortgage fraud. Jacobson is a clinical professor and the Director of the Securities Law Clinic at Cornell. “Either it fails legally, or it fails in court. They don’t want to lose that case if you’re going against a major political opponent. And that’s part of the calculation that will take place.” Jacobson talked about the ins and outs of the Democratic California senator’s potential legal woes following the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency sending a letter to the DOJ this year claiming that Schiff falsified banking and property documents by listing two homes – on two separate coasts – as his primary residence out of an effort to allegedly get more favorable loans. The DOJ has not yet said whether it would take up the case, but is likely digging into Schiff’s paper trail as it weighs whether to move forward, Jacobson explained. TRUMP ACCUSES ‘SCAM ARTIST’ SCHIFF OF LYING ABOUT MARYLAND HOME TO COMMIT MORTGAGE FRAUD “I would expect that the first thing the Department of Justice is going to do is to gather documents. There will be a paper trail here. There will be many things that are documentable, and not ‘he said, she said,’ as to where Adam Schiff was actually living,” he said. As investigators go through the documents, they will ask questions such as: What was his actual primary residence? What did he sign? Who was present when he signed? Did he have conversations with people about it? The law professor, who founded the popular conservative legal blog Legal Insurrection, said that there will likely be a “significant paper trail” to go through due to the case stretching back more than 20 years and due to companies keeping tight records following the 2008 financial crash. “Mortgage companies preserve all of these things because of the financial crisis and other things. They have to maintain these records. . . . And I would expect that that would be the first thing the Department of Justice would look at is the paper trail and the circumstantial evidence as to where Adam Schiff was, in fact, living,” he continued, remarking that there are “no shrinking violets” at the Trump DOJ. Schiff first fell under scrutiny this year in May, when the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sent a letter to the Department of Justice sounding the alarm that, in “multiple instances,” Schiff allegedly “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments from 2003-2019 for a Potomac, Maryland-based property.” At the heart of the issue are two properties purchased by Schiff: a home purchased in 2003 in Potomac, Maryland, for $870,000 under a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage agreement for $610,000 at a rate of 5.625% over a term of 30 years, and a 2009 Burbank, Calif., condo. Schiff reaffirmed the Potomac property as his principal residence in mortgage refinancing paperwork in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013, according to the FHFA letter to the DOJ. Over the same time frame, Schiff took a homeowner’s tax exemption on the Burbank condo while also claiming that home as his primary residence for a $7,000 reduction off of the 1% property tax, FHFA Director William Pulte wrote in the letter to the DOJ, citing media reports. In 2023, the letter continued, a spokesperson for Schiff asserted that “Adam’s primary residence is Burbank, California, and will remain so when he wins the Senate seat.” FHFA is an independent federal agency that oversees Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System. TRUMP INVOKES RUSSIA COLLUSION HOAX WHILE CALLING FOR LONGTIME FOE SCHIFF TO FACE JAIL TIME In 2020, Schiff refinanced his mortgage, listing his Maryland home as his secondary residence. Trump publicly slammed Schiff over his mortgages in July on Truth Social, accusing him of fraud and putting the issue back on the public’s radar following 2023 news reports on Schiff’s homes in Maryland and California. “I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist,” Trump posted to Truth Social Tuesday. “And now I learn that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division have concluded that Adam Schiff has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud.” “Adam Schiff said that his primary residence was in MARYLAND to get a cheaper mortgage and rip off America, when he must LIVE in CALIFORNIA because he was a Congressman from CALIFORNIA. I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook. The FRAUD began with the refinance of his Maryland property on February 6, 2009, and continued through multiple transactions until the Maryland property was correctly designated as a second home on October 13, 2020.” FOX NEWS POLITICS NEWSLETTER: SCHIFF FLAGGED FOR POTENTIAL MORTGAGE FRAUD BY TRUMP OFFICIAL Schiff has repeatedly denied and brushed off the accusations, including refusing to answer questions from Fox News Digital about his alleged mortgage fraud when confronted in the nation’s capital on July 16. “Since I led his first impeachment, Trump has repeatedly called for me to be arrested for treason. So in a way, I guess this is a bit of a letdown. And this baseless attempt at political retribution won’t stop me from holding him accountable. Not by a long shot,” he posted to X in July following Trump’s initial Truth Social attack on Schiff’s mortgages. “This is just Donald Trump’s latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies. So it is not a surprise, only how weak this false allegation turns out to be. And much as Trump may hope, this smear will
Game on in North Carolina as former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper launches Senate bid for GOP-held seat
Former two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is running for the Senate in battleground North Carolina. Cooper announced his candidacy on Monday morning in the open-seat race to succeed Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who announced late last month that he wouldn’t run for re-election in the 2026 midterm elections. “I have thought on it and prayed about it, and I have decided: I am running to be the next U.S. Senator from North Carolina,” Cooper said in a social media post. Cooper’s campaign launch is seen as a major coup for the Democratic Party, as he was the party’s top recruit in next year’s elections, bolstering their chances of flipping a key GOP-held seat as they try to take a big bite out of the Republicans’ 53-47 Senate majority. DNC CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS DIGITAL DEMOCRATS HAVE HIT ‘ROCK BOTTOM’ – HERE’S HIS PLAN TO REBOUND His announcement was expected, as numerous news organizations, including Fox News, recently reported that the former governor would launch a campaign in the coming days. And this past weekend, at the North Carolina Democrats “Unity Dinner,” Cooper teased his run during his speech. He grabbed cheers when he asked people to stand up if they were running for office in 2026 and said, “Hey, I’m not sitting down, am I.” Cooper, in a video announcing his candidacy, argued that “politicians in DC are running up our debt, ripping away our healthcare, disrespecting our veterans, cutting help for the poor, and even putting Medicare and Social Security at risk, just to give tax breaks to billionaires,” in a jab at President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress. Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said in a statement that “Governor Cooper is a formidable candidate who will flip North Carolina’s Senate seat, and his announcement is the latest indication that the Republicans’ Senate majority is at risk in 2026.” The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), the top super PAC supporting Senate Republicans, fired back. “Chuck Schumer might be celebrating, but North Carolinians are still reeling from extreme liberal Roy Cooper’s botched response to Hurricane Helene that left over 100 people dead, his pardons of violent criminals, and his vetoes that allowed boys in girls’ sports and forced higher taxes on working families,” SLF Executive Director Alex Latcham claimed in a statement. Ahead of his launch, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which is the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, targeted Cooper in a digital ad. And in a statement Monday morning, NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez claimed that “Roy Cooper is a Democrat lapdog who spent his time as Governor sabotaging President Trump, doing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ bidding, releasing violent illegal aliens into North Carolina streets, and championing radical transgender ideology.” Cooper isn’t the only Democrat to announce their candidacy. Former one-term Rep. Wiley Nickel launched a campaign for the Senate in North Carolina in April. But Wiley is expected to drop his bid and endorse Cooper. FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN LAUNCHES SECOND STRAIGHT BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT HELD SWING STATE SENATE SEAT Cooper, who was a popular governor during his eight years steering North Carolina, was floated last year as a possible running mate for then-Vice President Kamala Harris after she succeeded then-President Joe Biden as the Democrats’ 2024 presidential nominee. Cooper is likely to face off in next year’s general election with Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Whatley, in what would be one of the most competitive, bruising, and expensive Senate battles of 2026. President Donald Trump, who is the ultimate kingmaker in GOP politics and whose endorsements in Republican primaries are extremely powerful, on Thursday gave Whatley his “Complete and Total Endorsement.” “Mike would make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina. He is fantastic at everything he does, and he was certainly great at the RNC,” Trump added, in a social media post. And NRSC chair Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina called Whatley “a strong America First conservative who will be a champion for North Carolina in the U.S. Senate. RNC CHAIR WHATLEY TO SEEK OPEN GOP-HELD SENATE SEAT IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE Scott noted that “the Tar Heel State has supported President Trump in all three of his elections and elected Republicans to both its U.S. Senate seats for over a decade. With Michael as our candidate, we will win it again in 2026!” Trump called Tillis’ announcement last month that he wouldn’t seek a third six-year term in the Senate “great news.” Tillis is a GOP critic of the president, and Trump torched the senator last month for not supporting his so-called “big, beautiful” spending and tax cut bill. Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law and a North Carolina native who served last year alongside Whatley as an RNC co-chair, was considered to be Trump’s top choice to run for Tillis’ seat. But in a statement on Thursday, Lara Trump said “after much consideration and heartfelt discussions with my family, friends, and supporters, I have decided not to pursue the United States Senate seat in North Carolina at this time.” Whatley, who served as chair of the North Carolina GOP before being elected last year as RNC chair, said recently in a Fox News Digital interview that the Senate showdown in the Tar Heel State is “going to be one of the marquee races in the country.”
Trump meets with UK Prime Minister Starmer on heels of EU trade deal
President Donald Trump is meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, just a day after Trump secured a trade deal with the European Union. Trump greeted Starmer on the front steps of his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland on Monday. The two spoke briefly to reporters, commenting on both immigration issues in the U.K. and the ongoing hunger crisis in Gaza. “I’m looking for getting people fed right now,” Trump said. “To me, that’s your number one position because you have a lot of starving people. You have people that you know, the United States recently, just a couple of weeks ago, we gave $60 million. It’s a lot of money. No other nation gave money.” Starmer agreed that the situation in Gaza is a “humanitarian crisis,” and the pair said they planned to discuss the issue during their meeting. TRUMP HEADS TO SCOTLAND, CONTINUES IRONING OUT TRADE DEALS AFTER NOTCHING SIX MONTHS BACK IN OFFICE Trump also touched on the war in Ukraine, saying he continues to be “disappointed” in Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said he may reduce the 50-day window the U.S. gave for Ukraine and Russia to reach a ceasefire agreement. “I think I already know the answer, what’s going to happen,” Trump said. Trump also commented that the world would be experiencing six major wars if he weren’t serving as president, citing his efforts to end India’s conflict with Pakistan as well as friction between Serbia and Kosovo. In May, the U.K. became the first to announce a trade deal with the U.S. following Liberation Day, when Trump announced widespread tariffs for multiple countries earlier this year. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also told reporters last week that Trump and Starmer will meet “to refine the great trade deal that was brokered,” though the White House did not answer Fox News Digital’s questions about what specifically will be discussed over the weekend. “The U.K. is the only country to have secured this deal with the U.S., reducing car export tariffs from 27.5% to 10%, saving manufacturers hundreds of millions each year and protecting hundreds of thousands of jobs,” the British government said in a statement. “At the same time, the aerospace sector has seen the removal of 10% tariffs on goods such as engines and aircraft parts, helping make companies such as Rolls Royce more competitive and allow them to continue to be at the cutting edge of innovation.” UK TO ROLL OUT RED CARPET IN ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ SECOND TRUMP VISIT HOSTED BY KING CHARLES Starmer championed his relationship with Trump in a BBC interview earlier this month and said that it was “in the national interest” for the two men to get along. “We are different people, and we’ve got different political backgrounds and leanings, but we do have a good relationship and that comes from a number of places,” Starmer told BBC podcast “Political Thinking.” “I think I do understand what anchors the president, what he really cares about.” Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report
Obama issues rare statement on foreign policy issue
Former President Barack Obama issued a rare statement weighing in on the hunger situation in Gaza on Sunday, suggesting aid must flow to Palestinians regardless of whether Israel can secure a hostage deal for now. Obama made the statement on social media in reference to reporting from the New York Times stating that “Gazans are dying of starvation.” Israel, which blockaded aid to Gaza earlier this year, has recently begun to airdrop aid resources into the region, and its leaders argue reports of starvation are a false campaign promoted by Hamas. Reporting from Fox News’ Trey Yingst has indicated that hunger is indeed spreading across the region, however. “While a lasting resolution to the crisis in Gaza must involve a return of all hostages and a cessation of Israel’s military operations, these articles underscore the immediate need for action to be taken to prevent the travesty of innocent people dying of preventable starvation,” Obama wrote on X, providing a link to the Times. “Aid must be permitted to reach people in Gaza. There is no justification for keeping food and water away from civilian families,” he added. HAMAS LOSING IRON GRIP ON GAZA AS US-BACKED GROUP GETS AID TO PALESTINIANS IN NEED President Donald Trump touted U.S. efforts to provide aid to Gaza when asked about the situation on Sunday. Meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the time, he stated that Europe has not provided aid to Gaza. He also said that Hamas is stealing much of the aid being sent to Palestinians, a claim Israel has put forward repeatedly. “When I see the children and when I see, especially over the last couple of weeks people are stealing the food, they’re stealing the money, they’re stealing the money for the food. They’re stealing weapons, they’re stealing everything,” Trump told reporters. “It’s a mess, that whole place is a mess. The Gaza Strip, you know it was given many years ago so they could have peace. That didn’t work out too well,” he added. NEWS OUTLETS ‘DESPERATELY CONCERNED’ FOR THEIR JOURNALISTS IN GAZA, URGE ISRAELI AUTHORITIES TO HELP The IDF says it conducted 28 drops in a matter of hours on Sunday, in addition to transferring some 250 aid trucks over the course of the week. “Let me be clear: Israel supports aid for civilians, not for Hamas. The IDF will continue to support the flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” an IDF spokesperson said Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also pushed back on criticism of his regime, arguing that the United Nations has been falsely pushing claims of widespread starvation. He told the Jerusalem Post on Sunday that it has long been Israel’s policy to allow aid into Gaza so long as it did not benefit Hamas. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We’ve done this so far,” Netanyahu told the paper. “But the U.N. is spreading lies and falsehoods about Israel. They say we don’t allow humanitarian supplies in, yet we do. There are secure corridors. They’ve always existed, but now it’s official. No more excuses.”
England beat Spain in penalty shootout to win women’s Euro 2025
The Lionesses beat Spain 3-1 on penalties after drawing 1-1 in extra time to retain the European Championship. Chloe Kelly scored the decisive spot kick as England beat Spain 3-1 in a penalty shootout to win Euro 2025, successfully defending the title they won three years ago after an enthralling encounter that ended 1-1 after extra time. Spain dominated possession in Basel, Switzerland on Sunday and made the breakthrough in the 25th minute as Ona Batlle crossed and the England defence was caught flat-footed, allowing Mariona Caldentey to head the ball past Hannah Hampton. With Lauren James struggling due to an ankle inury, England were struggling, but Kelly came off the bench to replace her just before the break and it proved an inspired substitution from Wiegman. Kelly helped close down England’s porous left flank and provided the cross for Alessia Russo to level in the 57th minute, the forward heading home her inch-perfect assist. Spain continued to monopolise the ball but could not find another goal before the end of normal time, and the story continued through extra time as they probed and probed, but could not break through the English defence as the game finished 1-1. The Spaniards got the shootout off to a great start when Cata Coll saved Beth Mead’s effort, but England keeper Hannah Hampton stepped up and saved from Caldentey and then from Aitana Bonmati to put England in the driving seat. Coll got Spain back into it with another one-handed stop to block Leah Williamson, but Spain substitute Salma Paralluelo then fired her kick wide of the target. That set the stage for Kelly to repeat her 2022 heroics, when she scored the extra-time winner over Germany that won them the title at Wembley. Kelly celebrates after scoring the winning penalty [Denis Balibouse/Reuters] Kelly made her trademark prancing run-up before smashing the ball into the net and peeling away in ecstasy to celebrate with the rest of the players in front of the England fans. Advertisement “I’m so proud, so proud of this team, so grateful to wear this badge, and I’m so proud to be English … I was cool, I was composed and I knew I was going to hit the back of the net,” Kelly said. Spain trailed for only four minutes in the entire tournament – and not for one second against England – yet could not seal their first European title. The final was the first time since the inaugural edition in 1984 that the game was decided by a penalty shootout – a match in which England were beaten by Sweden. Speaking to the BBC, England goalkeeper Hampton said: “This team is just unbelievable, incredible. “We’ve shown throughout this tournament [that] we can come back when we go a goal down. We have that grit. We never say die – we just keep going, and we did that today.” Adblock test (Why?)
Gunfight in Baghdad kills one as paramilitary group storms ministry
Iraqi police clashed with Popular Mobilisation Forces in Baghdad after they stormed an Agriculture Ministry building. At least one police officer was killed and 14 fighters detained after a gun battle erupted in Iraq’s capital with members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a state-sanctioned paramilitary umbrella that includes groups loyal to Iran. The violence on Sunday broke out in Baghdad’s Karkh district when PMF fighters stormed a Ministry of Agriculture building during the appointment of a new director, the Interior Ministry said. The gunmen disrupted an official meeting, stirring panic among staff and an emergency police response team. Police responding to the scene “came under fire”, also resulting in injuries among security personnel. The ministry said “it would not tolerate any party attempting to impose its will by force and threaten state institutions”. Group ‘does not want to escalate’ The PMF, known locally as Hashd al-Shaabi, is composed mainly of Shia paramilitaries formed to fight ISIL (ISIS), but has since been formally integrated into Iraq’s armed forces. Several of its factions maintain close ties to Tehran. Security sources and witnesses inside the building said the fighters aimed to block the replacement of the former director. Hospital and police officials confirmed one officer was killed and nine others were wounded in the clash. A statement from Iraq’s Joint Operations Command, which reports to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, said the detained gunmen were referred to the judiciary. Those involved belonged to PMF brigades 45 and 46, units widely linked to Kataib Hezbollah, one of Iraq’s most powerful Iran-aligned militias. Advertisement An unnamed member of Kataib Hezbollah told AFP news agency that a fighter from the group was killed and six others were wounded. The group “does not want to escalate” and will allow the judiciary to take its course, the group member said. In response to the escalation, al-Sudani ordered an investigative committee to look into the events. The PMF’s continued influence in Iraqi politics and its armed confrontations with state institutions have raised concerns over the fragility of Iraq’s security apparatus, and the blurred lines between formal authority and powerful militia. Battle for influence Over the years since the 2003 United States invasion of Iraq, a battle has played out in the country between Iran and the US for government influence. Among those working in alignment with Iran are a number of members of the PMF, which emerged in 2014 to fight ISIL. In 2017, the PMF’s legitimacy was codified into law against the wishes of the Iraqi Ministries of Interior and Defence, and was brought under the oversight of Iraq’s national security adviser. Adblock test (Why?)
Syria to hold first parliamentary elections since al-Assad’s fall
Vote will take place September 15-20 in the first election since President al-Sharaa took power. Syria will hold parliamentary elections in September, said the head of a body tasked with organising the election process. Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, chairman of the Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections, told state news agency SANA on Sunday that elections will take place between September 15 and 20. They will be the first to take place under the country’s new authorities after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December. One-third of the 210 seats will be appointed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, with the rest to be elected. In a recent interview with the Erem News site, another member of the elections committee, Hassan al-Daghim, said an electoral college will be set up in each of Syria’s provinces to vote for the elected seats. Increasingly divided A temporary constitution signed by al-Sharaa in March called for a People’s Committee to be set up to serve as an interim parliament until a permanent constitution is adopted and general elections held, a process that could take years. The announcement of impending elections comes at a time when the country is increasingly divided in its views of the new authorities in Damascus after sectarian violence broke out in the southern province of Suwayda earlier this month. The fighting killed hundreds of people and threatened to unravel Syria’s fragile postwar transition. The violent clashes, which broke out two weeks ago, were sparked by tit-for-tat kidnappings between armed Bedouin clans and fighters from the Druze religious minority. Advertisement Syrian government forces intervened, ostensibly to end the fighting, but effectively sided with the clans. Some government troops reportedly executed Druze civilians and burned and looted houses. Israel intervened, launching air strikes on government forces and on the Defence Ministry headquarters. Israel said it was acting to defend the Druze minority. Adblock test (Why?)
Taking this common acidity medicine? India’s top drug regulator says it may cause cancer, orders probe
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has flagged concerns of a cancer-causing impurity in Ranitidine — a commonly-used acidity medicine. The drug regulatory body has issued orders to authorities in all states and union territories in this regard. Read on to know more on this.
‘Historic initiative’: PM Modi makes BIG announcement, launches mission for digitisation of…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the historic ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ for the digitisation of ancient Indian manuscripts on Sunday. In the 124th episode of his monthly radio show Mann Ki Baat aired on Sunday, the PM talked in detail about the mission. Read on to know more.
Bihar voter list revision: EC ensures no names will be deleted from Bihar draft roll without due process
The poll panel said there will be no deletion from Draft Electoral Rolls without a “speaking order”. A speaking order is a self-explanatory order that details the reasons for reaching a particular conclusion.