But this is his bank, so it is his problem. Sen. Daniel Inouye pressured the Treasury Department and the FDIC... View Article
Continue readingLunchtime Link Round-Up
The Federal Reserve is hiring a former Enron lobbyist in an effort to fix its image. I would say that... View Article
Continue readingWhy Transparency?
One way that transparency can directly affect outcomes is when information is released in ways that preempt bad decisions. In... View Article
Continue readingThey Cared to Comment
Rural Electrification Administration photograph of a woman turning on a washing machine. The REA was a New Deal program and... View Article
Continue reading“They Frankly Own The Place”
That title comes from the words of Sen. Dick Durbin describing the power of the bankers and financial sector over... View Article
Continue readingDraping Transparency Over the TARP
Since the passage of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 authorized the $700 billion bailout of the financial sector... View Article
Continue readingThe unbearable opacity of TARP: Government agencies can’t tell us who’s in charge
The new report to Congress from SIGTARP -- the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program -- begins by noting that TARP has evolved into "12 separate, but often interrelated, programs involving government and private funds of up to almost $3 trillion" of an "unprecedented scope, scale, and complexity." The report highlighted the possibilities of fraud and conflicts on interest in the bailout process and calls for better disclosure. We continue to find that even some of the most elementary details about the program -- like who is actually managing distribution of the bailout money to financial institutions -- is still shrouded ...
Continue readingShould We Increase Lobbying Disclosure Requirements for Bailout Firms?
When bailed out companies spend money to lobby the government, should we expect greater transparency about their lobbying operations? This... View Article
Continue readingLobbying Disclosures Due Today
Today is the final day for lobbyists and organizations employing lobbyists to file their quarterly disclosure forms. The forms are... View Article
Continue readingRevolving Door Bailout Army
Mother Jones adds more fuel to the lobbying disclosure fire by showing over 100 former congressional staffers, lawmakers, and government... View Article
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