What were the charges against Adam Schiff?
Executive summary
Adam Schiff has not been criminally charged with treason or similar offenses, but since 2024–2025 reporting he has been the subject of allegations and a federal inquiry focused on alleged mortgage fraud tied to his residency and loan paperwork — allegations he denies — while the Justice Department has also opened a probe into how that mortgage investigation has been handled [1] [2] [3]. Separately, long-standing political attacks accuse him of misleading the public during the Russia investigations and impeachment process, charges made in congressional rhetoric and resolutions but not criminal indictments [4] [5].
1. The specific allegation: mortgage fraud, occupancy misrepresentation
The substantive criminal allegation in recent reporting is that Schiff falsified information about which property was his primary residence to obtain favorable mortgage or tax treatment — a pattern described as "occupancy misrepresentation" on multiple Fannie Mae loan files and characterized in coverage as potential mortgage fraud [6] [1]. Media outlets and political figures say the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and Fannie Mae flagged inconsistencies in loan and tax records that prompted referrals and further scrutiny [6] [7].
2. Where the inquiry stands: investigation and grand jury activity, not an indictment
Multiple outlets report a federal grand jury in Maryland reviewing the mortgage allegations and that prosecutors have interviewed witnesses; at the same time the Justice Department has launched an internal review into how allies of the Trump administration handled the probe — meaning there is active investigative activity but no public record of an indictment or conviction of Schiff in the provided reporting [3] [2] [7]. Coverage makes clear the probe’s status is fluid and that prosecutors in Maryland are central to the inquiry [3] [1].
3. Who referred the matter and political context: FHFA and Trump allies
The public narrative driving the investigation includes criminal referrals from FHFA leadership and public pressure from Trump allies; Bill Pulte of the FHFA and others have made referrals that escalated scrutiny, and reporting notes concerns that individuals outside traditional DOJ channels — including allied officials — pushed the matter forward, raising questions about political influence [7] [2]. News outlets and congressional Democrats have flagged potential improper coordination or unusual tactics by administration allies in pursuing such cases [8] [2].
4. Schiff’s response and competing narratives
Schiff has denied wrongdoing and called the allegations false, soliciting legal defense funds and preparing politically for the possibility of charges, while his allies and Senate Democrats have sought oversight of the referrals and DOJ conduct [2] [9]. Conservative outlets and Trump allies have amplified the mortgage claims; at the same time mainstream outlets and watchdog reporting have emphasized that procedural irregularities and questions about motives are part of the public record [6] [8].
5. Other accusations often conflated with criminal charges: Russia allegations and fabricated claims
Separately, critics — including a House resolution cited on public record — accused Schiff of misleading the public about Russian election interference and described his statements as falsehoods or abuses of sensitive information; those are political and congressional findings or rhetoric, not criminal convictions, and should not be conflated with the mortgage allegations [4] [5]. Additionally, unequivocally false claims circulated on social media that Schiff had been arrested or convicted for treason have been debunked by fact-checkers and official denials [10].
6. Bottom line: what the "charges" actually are, for now
The clearest, repeated factual thread in reporting is that Schiff faces allegations of mortgage fraud/occupancy misrepresentation and is the subject of a federal inquiry and grand-jury review in Maryland; however, as of the sources provided there is no public criminal indictment or conviction, and the Justice Department is simultaneously investigating the handling of the case itself, reflecting both legal uncertainty and strong partisan dynamics around the matter [1] [3] [7].