‘Won’t be bullied into stepping down’: US Fed Governor Lisa Cook responds to Trump’s resignation call

Defiant against the pressure from US President Donald Trump, the country’s Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook signalled her intention to remain in her post amid calls for her resignation. In a statment released on Wednesday, Cook made it clear that she had “no intention” of being bullied to step down from her office.

“I have no intention of being bullied to step down from my position because of some questions raised in a tweet,” Cook said in a statement. “I do intend to take any questions about my financial history seriously as a member of the Federal Reserve, and so I am gathering the accurate information to answer any legitimate questions and provide the facts.”

The pressure on Cook started mounting after Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte urged US Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Cook over a pair of mortgages. Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening, Trump called for Cook to step down and reiterated his assertion on Wednesday morning in a social media post.

Trump administration scrutinises Cook

On August 15, Pulte wrote to Bondi and Justice Department official Ed Martin, suggesting that Cook may have committed a criminal offence. According to Bloomberg, the letter alleged that Cook “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favourable loan terms, potentially committing mortgage fraud under the criminal statute.”

Interestingly, the Trump administration has also hurled mortgage fraud allegations against high-profile Democrats, including California Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Both of them have been longtime political foes of Trump.

No charges against Cook have been filed as of now, and it is still not clear whether Bondi will investigate the Federal Reserve Governor or not. The Justice Department previously declined to comment on Pulte’s letter.