US Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte has submitted a second criminal referral to the Justice Department against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, intensifying an investigation into alleged mortgage-related misrepresentations, according to documents released late Thursday. The latest complaint focuses on a $361,000 mortgage Cook obtained on 7 April 2021 for a condominium in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Pulte contends Cook declared the unit a “second home” to secure more favorable loan terms but, eight months later, reported the same property as an “investment/rental” in a 1 December 2021 federal ethics filing and in subsequent disclosures through 2025. Pulte says the filing widens a pattern identified in an earlier referral involving properties in Atlanta, Georgia, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, which Cook is accused of falsely portraying as primary residences while renting them out. Cook has acknowledged documentation inconsistencies and suggested they stem from clerical errors. The Justice Department has not commented on whether it will open a formal investigation. Cook remains on the Federal Reserve Board, and the White House has said it is monitoring the matter. No charges have been filed.