Uwm And Deciantis Deny Contract Interference In Aime-sweeney Lawsuit

United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) and its executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Sarah DeCiantis — both of whom are defendants in the ongoing court battle between the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) and its former CEO, Katie Sweeney — have denied allegations that they interfered with a contract involving AIME.

An amended complaint filed in December 2025 by Sweeney accuses AIME of breach of contract and DeCiantis and UWM of tortious interference with contractual relations. Sweeney also alleges she was pressured by UWM executives to operate AIME in UWM’s interests rather than independently.

AIME has disputed Sweeney’s role, describing her as a board chair, but Sweeney’s complaint cites a 2021 press release issued by AIME — and approved by President Marc Summers and DeCiantis — that publicly named Sweeney as CEO.

The complaint alleges DeCiantis and UWM CEO Mat Ishbia pressured Sweeney and Summers through texts, calls and emails to benefit UWM and limit promotion of competing lenders.

Sweeney also claims she uncovered financial misconduct at AIME, including alleged embezzlement and misuse of company funds, and that leadership declined to take corrective action.

Sweeney says these disputes, along with resistance to governance reforms, led to her resignation in September 2023 and a transition agreement promising $240,000 in bonuses and $240,000 in severance. She alleges AIME failed to fully pay the amounts and that UWM and DeCiantis directed the group to stop payments after she joined Rocket Pro at the start of 2025.

AIME, meanwhile, has alleged that Sweeney arranged her own exit deal, pressured Summers to approve it and directed more than $900,000 in payments to herself from 2021 to 2024. Sweeney has denied the allegations.

In early January, it was decided that since UWM and DeCiantis are Michigan-based, the AIME-Sweeney lawsuit would be moved to a Michigan court.

On Jan. 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, UWM and DeCiantis officially answered Sweeney’s amended complaint and rejected the majority of the claims. The defendants are contesting liability and positioning the case for dismissal or a strong defense.

UWM acknowledged that it is a title sponsor of AIME, and DeCiantis admitted that she was notified of Sweeney’s resignation, but denied approving a press release announcing Sweeney as AIME’s CEO or having knowledge of her minority ownership interests at the time alleged in the complaint.

The defendants also disputed Sweeney’s allegations about AIME’s finances and denied that DeCiantis personally approved or directed actions related to Sweeney’s role.

UWM and DeCiantis both assert that Sweeney’s transition agreement is invalid and “unforceable,” arguing it was flawed from the start, obtained through fraud or otherwise barred by law. They also deny intentionally interfering with the agreement and say Sweeney “failed to mitigate her damages” or meet legal requirements.

Neither Sweeney nor UWM and DeCiantis immediately responded to HousingWire‘s requests for comment.