The HHS Office of the Inspector General has been asked to provide a temporary protective detail for FHFA Director Bill Pulte after he received death threats tied to referrals he made — including an investigation request involving NY Attorney General Letitia James. The request was made by FHFA Acting Inspector General Christian Schrank, a former HHS deputy IG, and is unusual because FHFA is independent of HHS. Two to three HHS-OIG agents are expected to rotate on 30-day assignments starting within two to four weeks and the detail could last up to 90 days while FHFA hires its own agents.
HHS-OIG Asked to Provide Temporary Security Detail for FHFA Director After Death Threats
File: Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte speaks with reporters at the White House, Jan. 9, 2026. / Credit: Evan Vucci / AP(Evan Vucci / AP)
The Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) has been asked to provide a temporary protective detail for Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte, multiple sources tell CBS News. The request is notable because FHFA is an independent agency and not part of HHS.
Why the Request Was Made
Sources said Pulte received death threats after he asked the Justice Department to investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James for alleged mortgage fraud. A grand jury indicted James last fall, but the charges were later dismissed after a federal judge found the U.S. attorney who obtained the indictment had been unlawfully appointed.
Who Made the Request
The appeal for a temporary protective assignment was submitted by FHFA Acting Inspector General Christian Schrank, who until December served as deputy inspector general for investigations at HHS, two sources said. Schrank was appointed acting IG in December, roughly a month after the White House removed the agency's previous acting inspector general, Joe Allen. Sources previously told reporters that Allen’s removal followed his efforts to provide prosecutors with material related to the James matter.
Details of the Temporary Detail
HHS-OIG fraud investigators were reportedly informed this week that Pulte will receive a temporary protective detail of two to three agents working on 30-day rotations. The assignment is expected to begin within two to four weeks and could last up to 90 days, one source said, until FHFA OIG can hire its own protective agents. HHS-OIG will be reimbursed by FHFA for the cost of the detail.
Context and Related Developments
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has opened a review of Pulte’s actions at the housing agency. Top Senate Democrats asked the GAO late last year to examine referrals Pulte made to the Justice Department regarding Letitia James, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, and Representative Eric Swalwell for alleged mortgage fraud.
Historically, the HHS inspector general’s office has maintained a small protective branch that provided security for the HHS secretary. Last year, the protective detail for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy was transferred to the U.S. Marshals Service because he required a larger protection team amid numerous credible threats. The HHS inspector general currently provides a protective detail for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, which is consistent with CMS being part of HHS.
Precedents and Broader Threat Environment
HHS-OIG has previously provided protection to non-HHS officials in exceptional cases; notably, agents protected Dr. Anthony Fauci after he received death threats during the COVID-19 pandemic response. The report also notes other violent incidents involving threats to administration officials, including an attempted murder charge after an armed man showed up at the Arlington home of Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought last summer. Several officials who reported threats have temporarily relocated to military housing, according to sources.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this report misstated which office provides the protective detail for the CMS administrator. It is the Health and Human Services inspector general, not the housing department inspector general, that currently provides the detail for Dr. Mehmet Oz. The article has been updated to correct that error.
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