According to those familiar with the review, Martin is suspected of sharing confidential grand-jury information from the James case with an unauthorized individual. He is also believed to have worked alongside at least one private citizen to examine evidence in both the Schiff and James matters—actions that, if confirmed, would violate long-standing DOJ guidelines designed to protect the integrity of criminal proceedings.
Senior officials inside the department have expressed concern that such conduct could compromise the viability of the cases should they reach trial. A determination that outside parties handled investigative material without authorization would trigger mandatory disclosures to defense attorneys and could jeopardize future prosecutions.
Outside Figures Approach Key Witness
The possible breach became apparent when FBI agents assigned to the Maryland-based Schiff case contacted Christine Bish, a California realtor and congressional candidate who first lodged the mortgage-fraud complaint against the senator. Bish told agents she had already provided information to a man she believed was a DOJ investigator working for Martin.
The man, identified as Robert Bowes, describes himself publicly as a financial-fraud expert employed by the federal Office of Personnel Management. Without notifying FBI agents or Maryland prosecutors, Bowes allegedly interviewed Bish several times about her allegations. Bish further said that a private citizen named Scott Strauss asked her to transmit case documents to a personal email account, a request she declined.
Bish also indicated that Pulte contacted her directly in July seeking the same documents. Days later, former President Donald Trump posted portions of the material on social media, asserting that Schiff “should be prosecuted.”
Questions Over Protocol and Authority
Attorney General Pam Bondi previously appointed Martin as a “special attorney” for mortgage-fraud matters. However, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office leads the Schiff investigation, while prosecutors in Virginia are handling the James case. Sources say Martin’s separate efforts could be construed as usurping the authority of the FBI agents and federal prosecutors formally assigned.
Martin, a former interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, currently holds four DOJ titles: pardon attorney, special attorney for mortgage fraud, associate deputy attorney general, and director of the department’s so-called Weaponization Working Group. He has adopted a highly public posture, appearing in media interviews and even posing for photographs outside James’s Brooklyn residence. DOJ leadership has privately reprimanded him on several occasions for actions viewed as exceeding department norms, the sources said.
Imagem: Internet
Pulte, meanwhile, has submitted criminal referrals not only against Schiff and James but also against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. He recently dismissed internal watchdogs at Fannie Mae who were investigating how he obtained certain mortgage records, according to individuals briefed on the matter.
Both Bowes and Strauss lack current DOJ appointments. Bowes, a former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development official, was once nominated to serve on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission but never received a Senate vote. Strauss briefly served as a federal prosecutor in Florida before leaving government service in 2020. Despite those circumstances, each allegedly interacted with witnesses or handled materials tied to active grand-jury proceedings.
DOJ policy bars officials from discussing pending investigations on social media. Nevertheless, Bowes has repeatedly commented online about the Schiff and James cases. He also appeared on a webcast after James’s arraignment, offering opinions on potential sentencing and referring to what he described as evidence gathered in the probe. Such public remarks could violate rules that protect the secrecy of grand-jury information.
Implications for High-Profile Cases
The investigations of Trump adversaries accelerated this year after a U.S. attorney appointed by the former president secured indictments against James and former FBI Director James Comey. Both pleaded not guilty and contend the charges are retaliatory. Prosecutors have not publicly discussed the Schiff inquiry, but sources say they have struggled to build a viable case in part because many of the relevant mortgage documents date beyond the statute of limitations.
Legal experts note that if unauthorized contacts or leaks are confirmed, defense teams could argue the cases were tainted from the outset. DOJ guidelines require prosecutors to disclose any evidence that might impeach the integrity of an investigation, including improper involvement by outside actors. Additional information on department policies is available on the Justice Manual, the DOJ’s official guidance resource.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the ongoing review, stating only that anonymous claims aimed at influencing official processes undermine public trust. Representatives for Pulte, Strauss and Bish did not respond to inquiries, while attorneys for Schiff and James either declined comment or did not reply.
Crédito da imagem: Eric Lee / Getty Images
