WASHINGTON — The lawyer for Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook, a top official at the U.S. central bank whom President Donald Trump has sought to fire, slammed the Justice Department on Thursday after media outlets reported a criminal investigation has been opened into Cook and subpoenas have been issued.

The crux of the case revolves around allegations that Cook committed mortgage fraud by listing two homes as her primary residences on loan paperwork. The accusation was first made publicly by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, an avid supporter of the president who has levied similar claims against prominent Trump foes California Sen. Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Pulte declined to say during a CNBC interview Thursday if the administration is looking into similar allegations of mortgage fraud by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican Senate candidate. ProPublica also reported Thursday that three Cabinet members — Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin — claimed more than one primary residence on loan paperwork in ways similar to Cook. The White House and each official denied wrongdoing or criminality in statements to the nonprofit watchdog. 

Reuters and The Wall Street Journal first reported on the existence of the criminal probe into Cook on Thursday.

“Predictably and recognizing the flaws in challenging their illegal firing of Governor Cook, the administration is scrambling to invent new justifications for its overreach," Cook’s lawyer Abbe David Lowell said in a statement. "This Justice Department — perhaps the most politicized in American history — will do whatever President Trump demands. He wants cover, and they are providing it.”

Lowell said in a court filing this week that Cook “did not ever commit mortgage fraud."

A Justice Department spokesperson wrote in an email that the "Department of Justice does not comment on current or prospective litigation including matters that may be an investigation."

White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson referred requests for comment to the Justice Department and did not respond to questions about whether the president or other administration officials were in communication with the DOJ over the probe.

Trump attempted to fire Cook late last month amid his ongoing battle to rein in the Federal Reserve’s independence from the White House. In the central bank’s 112 years of existence, no president has ever fired a governor from its board, which holds seven members appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Cook is suing to prevent the firing, arguing federal law prevents the president from doing so.

The law governing the Fed says the president can't fire a governor just because they disagree over interest rate policy. Trump has repeatedly criticized the Fed — and its chair, Jerome Powell — for refusing to cut interest rates. The central bank has left its benchmark rate unchanged this year, partly because it has been waiting to see whether tariffs that Trump is slapping on foreign products will push inflation higher. Cook has voted against a cut, along with most board members.

“I don’t believe for the last four years that the Fed has been independent,” Pulte said on CNBC on Thursday morning, noting former Obama administration official and frequent Trump legal adversary Norm Eisen was one of Cook’s lawyers. Trump’s political operation posted a clip of Pulte stating that and another clip in which he declared he won’t be “intimidated from pursuing mortgage fraud just because somebody has the special title of being a Fed governor.”

The president may be able to fire a Fed governor “for cause,” which has traditionally been interpreted to mean inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance. Cook's lawyers argue that it also refers only to conduct while in office. They also say that she was entitled to a hearing and an opportunity to rebut the charges.

In court last week, Lowell said Trump’s motivations are clear: “He’s already said he wants a majority [on the Fed board]. He’s bragged that he’s going to get it.’’

U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb has yet to rule on Cook’s request for an emergency order blocking the firing until the case can be resolved, likely before the Supreme Court. But after Cobb blocked an expansion of the Trump administration’s fast-track deportation efforts late last week, Trump called for her to recusal.

“Same Judge as on Fed Case. I wonder how that happened??? Must recuse!!!” he wrote on Truth Social. In a separate post, he said it was a conflict of interest that Cobb and Cook were both members of a historically Black sorority despite attending different colleges and it being unclear if they were even acquainted. 

Economists broadly support Fed independence because it allows the central bank to be shielded from political pressure as it makes tough, complicated decisions about whether to raise interest rates to fight inflation or lower them to encourage hiring and economic growth.

“The Department of Justice continues to try to weaponize the federal government against people who have declined to bend the knee to Donald Trump and his extremism,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said at a news conference Thursday. “We will not be intimidated by the Department of Justice. We’re going to push back forcefully, aggressively and righteously.”

Meanwhile, Trump economic adviser Stephen Miran was testifying before the Senate banking committee on Thursday as he seeks to be confirmed to fill out the rest of an unfinished term vacated by a Fed governor who departed early last month. He told senators that he would take an "unpaid leave of absence” as chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers but not resign from the position. His proposed dual role triggered further concerns that Trump is working to expand his authority over the traditionally independent institution.

“Your independence has already been seriously compromised,” Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said. “You are going to be technically an employee of the president of the United States but an independent member of the board of the Federal Reserve. That’s ridiculous.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told reporters before the start of the hearing that “this is a crisis moment for the Federal Reserve, for the financial system and for the economic stability of families all across this country.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.