Sept 15 (Reuters) — The property tax authority in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook hasn’t broken rules for tax breaks on a home there that Cook declared her primary residence.
The finding, which came in response to a Reuters request that the city review Cook’s property records, could boost Cook’s defense against efforts by the Trump administration to remove her from the Federal Reserve board.
Ann Arbor has “no reason to believe” that Cook violated property tax rules, City Assessor Jerry Markey told Reuters. Cook has at times lived elsewhere and city records indicate she sought permission from Ann Arbor authorities to rent out the Michigan home on a short-term basis.
Temporary absence from the home or renting it out short-term wouldn’t disqualify her from a tax exemption in Ann Arbor, the tax official said. “Living elsewhere temporarily does not necessarily make an owner ineligible for a principal residence exemption,” said Markey.
The official’s remarks come as the administration of President Donald Trump is accusing the Fed governor of fraud related to mortgages on the Ann Arbor home and another she purchased in Atlanta. Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has spearheaded the effort, denouncing Cook on social media and referring the matter to the Department of Justice, which launched an investigation.
