California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff has always been quick to criticize his political opponents on a variety of topics, but he now faces notable potential legal issues of his own.
According to JustTheNews, Schiff has claimed his "principal" residences in mortgage and election filings as being in California and Maryland.
However, Americans are only allowed to claim one residence as their principal residence, and Schiff has reportedly claimed both homes in the aforementioned paperwork dating back to 2003.
The revelation has sparked the possibility of an ethics investigation that could ultimately promote prosecutable charges, according to reports.
The outlet explained the fact that American citizens can only claim one home as their "principal" residence. Schiff apparently believes the rules do not apply for his circumstance.
JustTheNews noted:
Americans are allowed to claim just one home as their primary residence: the one they live in the majority of the year, according to the federally backed lender Freddie Mac. But Schiff alternately declared both of his properties in the two different states as “principal” on multiple mortgage and election forms dating to 2003 and reviewed by Just the News.
One of the problems -- of many -- is that by doing what he did, Schiff was able to score "financial and political benefits like lower mortgage interest rates, tax advantages and the ability to run for election in a California House district."
The outlet noted:
In at least three instances, documents show that in 2009 and again in 2011 and 2013, Schiff refinanced his Maryland home and declared it was his “principal residence” at the same time he had declared his principal residence was in the California, according to 2009 and 2011 financing docs for his Burbank condo.
Sacramento-based real estate investigator Christine Bish, who also happens to be running for Congress as a Republican, first uncovered the situation.
Bish has already filed an ethics complaint against Schiff.
Schiff might have already ratted himself out due to a peculiar change he made in his 2020 filings, where he lists his Maryland residence as a "secondary" residence.
Bish argued that such a change is nothing less than a full admission of what he has been accused of doing.
Retired FBI supervisory special agent Jeff Danik reviewed the documents at the request of JustTheNews, and he believes there are potential charges to be filed.
"These are serious, documented allegations which carry significant criminal penalties if substantiated," Danik told the outlet.
