Only 1 of the top ten was a republican? I would have thought the breakdown would have been a bit more even.
On Tue, May 25, 2010 at 4:03 PM, Jerry Barnes <[email protected]> wrote: > > 4. *Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner:* In 2009, Obama Treasury > Secretary Timothy Geithner admitted that he failed to pay > $34,000<http://finance.senate.gov/press/Bpress/2009press/prb011309d.pdf>in > Social Security and Medicare taxes from 2001-2004 on his lucrative > salary > at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), an organization with 185 member > countries that oversees the global financial system. (Did we mention > Geithner now runs the IRS?) It wasn't until President Obama tapped Geithner > to head the Treasury Department that he paid back most of the money, > although the IRS kindly waived the hefty penalties. In March 2009, Geithner > also came under fire for his handling of the AIG bonus scandal, where the > company used $165 million of its bailout funds to pay out executive bonuses, > resulting in a massive public backlash. Of course as head of the New York > Federal Reserve, Geithner helped craft the AIG deal in September 2008. > However, when the AIG scandal broke, Geithner claimed he knew nothing of the > bonuses until March 10, 2009. The timing is important. According to > CNN<http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1886138,00.html>: > "Although Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told congressional leaders on > Tuesday that he learned of AIG's impending $160 million bonus payments to > members of its troubled financial-products unit on March 10, sources tell > TIME that the New York Federal Reserve informed Treasury staff that the > payments were imminent on Feb. 28. That is ten days before Treasury staffers > say they first learned 'full details' of the bonus plan, and three days > before the [Obama] Administration launched a new $30 billion infusion of > cash for AIG." Throw in another embarrassing disclosure in 2009 that > Geithner employed "household help" ineligible to work in the United States, > and it becomes clear why the Treasury Secretary has earned a spot on the > "Ten Most Corrupt Politicians in Washington" list. > > 3. *Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA):* Judicial Watch is investigating a $12 > million TARP cash > injection<http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/aug/jw-sues-treasury-records-tarp-funds-distributed-boston-bank-after-intervention-rep-bar>provided > to the Boston-based OneUnited Bank at the urging of Massachusetts > Rep. Barney Frank. As reported in the January 22, 2009, edition of the Wall > Street Journal, the Treasury Department indicated it would only provide > funds to healthy banks to jump-start lending. Not only was OneUnited Bank in > massive financial turmoil, but it was also "under attack from its regulators > for allegations of poor lending practices and executive-pay abuses, > including owning a Porsche for its executives' use." Rep. Frank admitted he > spoke to a "federal regulator," and Treasury granted the funds. (The bank > continues to flounder despite Frank's intervention for federal dollars.) > Moreover, Judicial Watch uncovered documents in > 2009<http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/aug/jw-sues-treasury-records-tarp-funds-distributed-boston-bank-after-intervention-rep-bar>that > showed that members of Congress for years were aware that Fannie Mae > and Freddie Mac were playing fast and loose with accounting issues, risk > assessment issues and executive compensation issues, even as liberals led by > Rep. Frank continued to block attempts to rein in the two Government > Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs). For example, during a > hearing<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_house_hearings&docid=f:92231.wais>on > September 10, 2003, before the House Committee on Financial Services > considering a Bush administration proposal to further regulate Fannie and > Freddie, Rep. Frank stated: "I want to begin by saying that I am glad to > consider the legislation, but I do not think we are facing any kind of a > crisis. That is, in my view, the two Government Sponsored Enterprises we are > talking about here, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are not in a crisis. We have > recently had an accounting problem with Freddie Mac that has led to people > being dismissed, as appears to be appropriate. I do not think at this point > there is a problem with a threat to the Treasury." Frank received $42,350 in > campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac between 1989 and > 2008. Frank also engaged in a > relationship<http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,432501,00.html>with a > Fannie Mae Executive while serving on the House Banking Committee, > which has jurisdiction over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. > > 2. *Senator John Ensign (R-NV):* A number of scandals popped up in 2009 > involving public officials who conducted illicit affairs, and then attempted > to cover them up with hush payments and favors, an obvious abuse of power. > The year's worst offender might just be Nevada Republican Senator John > Ensign. Ensign admitted in June to an extramarital affair with the wife of > one of his staff members, who then allegedly obtained special favors from > the Nevada Republican in exchange for his silence. According to *The New > York > Times<http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/us/politics/03ensign.html?_r=1&hp> > *: "The Justice Department and the Senate Ethics Committee are expected to > conduct preliminary inquiries into whether Senator John Ensign violated > federal law or ethics rules as part of an effort to conceal an affair with > the wife of an aide " The former staffer, Douglas Hampton, began to lobby > Mr. Ensign's office immediately upon leaving his congressional job, despite > the fact that he was subject to a one-year lobbying ban. Ensign seems to > have ignored the law and allowed Hampton lobbying access to his office as a > payment for his silence about the affair. (These are potentially criminal > offenses.) It looks as if Ensign misused his public office (and taxpayer > resources) to cover up his sexual shenanigans. > > 1. *Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT):* This marks two years in a row for > Senator Dodd, who made the 2008 "Ten Most Corrupt" list for his corrupt > relationship with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and for accepting preferential > treatment and loan terms from Countrywide > Financial<http://www.examiner.com/a-1449448%7EBank_of_America_PAC_money_behind_Dodd_s_Countrywide_loan.html>, > a scandal which still dogs him. In 2009, the scandals kept coming for the > Connecticut Democrat. In 2009, Judicial Watch filed a Senate ethics > complaint<http://www.judicialwatch.org/files/documents/2009/Senator%20Christopher%20Dodd%20Ethics%20Complaint%20April%2024%202009.pdf>against > Dodd for undervaluing a property he owns in Ireland on his Senate > Financial Disclosure forms. Judicial Watch's complaint forced Dodd to amend > the forms. However, press reports suggest the property to this day remains > undervalued. Judicial Watch also alleges in the complaint that Dodd obtained > a sweetheart deal for the property in exchange for his assistance in > obtaining a presidential pardon (during the Clinton administration) and > other favors for a long-time friend and business associate. The false > financial disclosure forms were part of the cover-up. Dodd remains the head > the Senate Banking Committee. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology-Michael-Dinowitz/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:319544 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
