Schiff Accused of Fraud, Top Jill Biden Aide Pleads the Fifth, Border NGOs Exposed: AM Update 7/17

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Good morning, everyone.

I'm Megan Kelly.

It's Thursday, July 17th, 2025.

Wait, how is it July 17th?

It was July 4th, literally yesterday.

In any event, it is July 17th, and this is your AM update.

I mean, to me, it looks like he committed mortgage fraud.

No, he's a bad guy, Schiff.

He's a sick puppy.

Senator Adam Schiff, a fierce critic of President Trump, criminally referred to the DOJ regarding potential mortgage fraud.

Was Joe Biden fit to exercise the duties of the president?

He pled the fit.

Former First Lady Jill Biden's powerful top aide refuses to answer House Oversight Committee questions in the investigation into the possible criminal cover-up of President Biden's mental decline.

And a fiery House hearing shines light on how billions of U.S.

taxpayer dollars were used by non-governmental organizations or NGOs to facilitate President Biden's border crisis.

All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update.

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The head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, William Pultey, criminally referring U.S.

Senator from California, Democrat Adam Schiff, to the DOJ alleging mortgage fraud.

Fox News on Wednesday publishing the referral letter, which was sent to the DOJ in May.

The letter accusing then-Congressman Schiff of misrepresenting his primary residence to obtain favorable mortgage terms.

In 2003, Congressman Schiff and his wife declaring a Maryland property as their primary residence, despite his role as a California congressman, reaffirming the property as the primary residence several times in refinancings.

Meanwhile, Mr.

Schiff also reportedly claimed a tax break on a Burbank, California condo, declaring it his primary residence as well.

From the criminal referral, quote, Mr.

Schiff appears to have falsified records in order to receive favorable loan terms and also appears to have been aware of the financial benefits of a primary residence mortgage when compared to a secondary residence mortgage.

CNN first reporting this story in 2023 in the lead up to Mr.

Schiff's Senate election.

A spokesperson saying at that time, quote, Adams, California and Maryland addresses have been listed as primary residence for loan purposes because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property.

Now it's Senator Schiff, a leading resistance member against President Trump during his first administration and to this day.

As chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Mr.

Schiff spearheading President Trump's first impeachment, serving as the Democrat face of the House-Russia collusion investigation, and participating in the January 6th Select Committee, for which he received a preemptive pardon from President Biden's autopen.

In 2023, Schiff was censured by the House for lying about those RussiaGate allegations, which rebuke Schiff later said he considered a badge of honor.

President Trump reacting Wednesday on Real America's Voice.

He looks to me like

No, he's a bad guy, Chef.

He's a sick puppy.

He's unattractive in every single way.

Every single way you can be unattractive, that's Chef.

He's a bad guy.

No, if he created fraud, he should suffer just like he made everyone else suffer, just like the horrible things he did to so many Republicans and conservatives and others do.

too.

Now, Senator Schiff responding in this video posted Tuesday to social media.

So he's accused me of treason.

He's also accused me of leaking classified information.

He's accused me of fraud.

It's been basically one thing after another, all baseless, all without merit.

So the president today is accusing me of fraud.

And the basis of his accusation is that I own a home in Maryland and I own a home in California.

Big surprise.

Members of Congress, almost all of them own more than one home or rent more than one home.

That may be true, but legally, only one can be the primary residence.

It is unclear if the Justice Department is actively investigating this case after the referral.

The case echoes a similar investigation referred to the DOJ by the Federal Housing Finance Agency regarding New York State Attorney General Letitia James, another Trump antagonist, for potential mortgage fraud.

That case led to a criminal investigation by the DOJ with the FBI issuing two subpoenas.

No formal charges have yet been issued against James, who denies any wrongdoing.

Coming up, First Lady Jill Biden's top aide invoking the Fifth Amendment as the House Oversight Committee investigates allegations of a cover-up involving President Biden's cognitive decline.

And the House Homeland Security Committee holds a hearing on the role of NGOs in Biden's border crisis.

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Former First Lady Jill Biden's former chief of staff, Anthony Bernal, invoking the Fifth Amendment Against Self-Incrimination Wednesday in front of the House Oversight Committee.

Bernal is now the second person to refuse to answer questions in the committee's investigation into the potential criminal cover-up of President Biden's mental decline while he was in office.

Last week, President Biden's longtime physician, Dr.

Kevin O'Connor, also declining to answer the committee's questions, pleading the fifth.

Oversight Chairman James Comer on the Hill shortly after ending the meeting with Bernal.

Just so everyone knows, these are the types of questions we asked.

Was Joe Biden fit to exercise the duties of the president?

He pled the fifth.

Second question, did any unelected official or family member execute the duties of the presidency?

And this is Joe Biden's chief of staff.

Did any unelected officials or family members ever execute the duties of the presidency?

Simple question.

He knew he was going to be asked that.

Everybody in America wants to know that.

He pled the fifth.

We believe there was illegal use of the auto pen.

We're going to continue to bring these people in, give them an opportunity to answer questions.

Bernal, a longtime Democrat operative holding a powerful position throughout the Biden presidency.

While in the Biden White House, Bernal developing quite the reputation, some say as a tyrant, but certainly as someone with an unusual amount of power.

Here's Miranda Devine.

Anthony Bernal is the diminutive gay factotum of Jill Biden, absolutely devoted, very loyal to both the Bidens.

He's been with Jill Biden since Joe Biden was vice president.

So over a decade.

He dresses her, he glams her up, he plans overseas trips they take together on Air Force One during Joe Biden's presidency.

And he and one other staffer were the only people who were allowed into the residence from the White House staff.

They were the only ones.

ones who were allowed to see Joe Biden in the wild, as it were.

And Jill Jill Biden trust, and Joe trusted her chief of staff, Anthony Bernal, implicitly with all the family secrets.

Bernal's lawyer, releasing a statement on Wednesday, provided to the Oversight Committee, reading in part, quote, the committee seeks Mr.

Bernal's testimony based on a purported controversy regarding use of the auto pen at the conclusion of President Biden's term.

President Biden has already confirmed that he personally made all decisions concerning his grants of clemency.

Not exactly.

Government watchdog group, the Oversight Project, finding the vast majority of documents in the Biden White House were signed with the AutoPen.

Previous testimony from senior Biden aide Nira Tanden, confirming that the people in charge of the AutoPen often had little FaceTime with President Biden directly.

And earlier this week, Mr.

Biden confirmed to the New York Times that he would sometimes approve pardons that would go through aides to other aides.

And then when confirmation was sought by those junior aides, a middle aide would simply reply all with the appropriate directions.

Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, a Republican, blasting Bernal following the meeting on the Hill and warning, this investigation is just getting started.

First things first, that's just crazy.

You can't answer a simple question about the former president's ability to discharge his duties, and you worked in the White House.

As chief of staff to the first lady, and you come in here and you plead the fifth, it's stunning and it demonstrates the level of corruption that was going on in that administration.

The chairman is being nice.

I don't have to be.

This is corruption at the highest level.

Because if you cannot say, answer a simple question about Joe Biden's capabilities, then that further demonstrates that he was not in charge of his administration.

And if he was not in charge of his administration, then every order, every bill that was signed, every memorandum, as far as I'm concerned, are null and void.

As far as I'm concerned, every member of the Biden administration at this point needs to be subpoena.

I don't care if there were a secretary.

I don't care if there were a janitor working in there.

They all got to come in and answer questions for this committee.

Former Biden aide Annie Tomasini, subpoenaed earlier this week, said to testify this Friday.

The House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday holding a hearing on the role of non-governmental organizations or NGOs funded by billions in U.S.

taxpayer dollars in transporting and resettling millions of illegal immigrants under the Biden administration.

Critics accusing former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of systematically dismantling Trump-era border policies, intentionally sparking an influx of millions of illegals.

At the height of the crisis, as many as 12,000 illegals were arriving at the southern border every day.

Republican Congressman Michael Guest of Mississippi describing how taxpayer funds were used by these NGOs to then help the Biden administration facilitate the crisis.

These groups that received billions in taxpayer funding would prove instrumental in helping the Biden-Harris administration process and release a historic number of illegal aliens into our country.

These groups spent billions of taxpayers' dollars to provide all types of benefits to illegal aliens.

So, our taxpayer dollars were used to form the final link in the cartel's human smuggling operation, paying to help illegal aliens travel to their preferred destinations, Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, or other destinations of choice.

The Biden border crisis provided to be a profitable business for some NGOs.

I would argue that these groups had a vested interest in prolonging the crisis.

We cannot let taxpayer dollars be used to facilitate lawbreaking, and we must shine a light on this disgraceful step as we begin to hold these organizations accountable.

Ranking member of the committee, Democrat Congressman Benny Thompson, in his opening remarks, calling the hearing a sham, accusing Republicans of attacking religious organizations carrying out charitable works.

Republicans falsely accuse Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran, Methodist, Evangelical, Muslim, and secular charities that feed, clothe, and aid the needy of having, quote, supercharge the business model of cartels, end quote.

That is a slanderous accusation and fringe conspiracy theories with no basis in reality.

Today's hearing are shameful abuses of congressional power to bully people for how they choose to exercise their religion and help their fellow man.

It's an attack on diverse faith-based organizations over their religious practices, and it is a threat to charities that do humanitarian work.

Republicans do not like.

Committee Republicans are attacking charities and religious organizations for providing food, clothing, and shelter to people in need.

Witness Mike Howell, president of the aforementioned government watchdog group, The Oversight Project, disputing Mr.

Thompson's characterization of these organizations, instead describing an unholy alliance between the government and these NGOs.

We saw the writing on the wall during the Biden border crisis.

with the sick marriage between the government and so-called non-governmental organizations facilitating illegal immigration.

The reason I call these groups so-called non-governmental organizations is because they, for the most part, draw funds from the government or have a preferential tax status from the government.

They are more creatures of the government than they are non-governmental.

This invasion could not have been accomplished without a colossal partnership between the government and open borders organizations.

Simply put, under the Biden administration's open border policies, the government could only do so much to facilitate mass illegal immigration, welcome illegal aliens into the United States, and move them around the country.

The Biden administration needed help, so they drove an estimated $6 billion to a conglomerate of 15 UN agencies and over 200 nonprofits, as recently calculated by the Center for Immigration Studies, to do the open borders work for them.

Witness Allie Hopper, president of Guard Against Trafficking, with chilling testimony alleging cartels hijacked the unaccompanied child migrant system, turning it into a for-profit trafficking pipeline funded by billions of U.S.

taxpayer dollars.

I have held a six-year-old Colombian child in my arms, cold, dirty, and shaking, left to die at the border by the cartel.

Over $20 billion has been dispersed under the UAC program, almost 14 billion of that in the last six years alone.

Yet, despite this massive investment, hundreds of thousands of children remain unaccounted for as the U.S.

taxpayer dollars fueled a system hijacked by criminal networks.

No bid, billion-dollar contracts were awarded with little oversight, while influx facilities became transportation hubs.

Children were routinely kidnapped and funneled into the U.S.

for profit.

Cartels infiltrated NGOs along those smuggling routes, turning humanitarian pathways into trafficking pipelines.

Weak sponsor vetting worsened this problem.

An HHS audit later found that 70% of sponsor applications were fraudulent, making proper post-placement welfare checks nearly impossible.

Throughout the 2024 election, then-candidate Trump promising to counteract President Biden's border policies by carrying out the largest mass deportation in in history, a policy supported by the majority of Americans.

Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee using the bulk of their time to attack those policies and the ICE agents involved in carrying out Mr.

Trump's agenda.

Republicans are going to lie and gaslight us all to help their fascist boss suppress dissent.

Back home every day, masked ICE agents, no badge, no identification, grabbing people off the streets.

These ICE agents running around our communities like masked bank robbers, terrorizing women.

Last week, federal law enforcement in California apprehended more than 300 illegal aliens working at a marijuana farm, including 14 children.

ICE reporting nine of those children were unaccompanied minors, illegal immigrants without their parents.

These minors found working alongside illegal aliens with criminal records, including at least one child predator.

Great job, President Biden.

Great job, Gavin Newsom.

And that'll do it for your AM update.

I'm Megan Kelly.

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