Despite their denials, influential Democratic Sens. Kent Conrad and Chris Dodd were told from the start they were getting VIP mortgage discounts from one of the nation's largest lenders, the official who handled their loans has told Congress in secret testimony.Of course they got sweet deals. That's one of the reason people become senators - perks.
Both senators have said that at the time the mortgages were being written they didn't know they were getting unique deals from Countrywide Financial Corp., the company that went on to lose billions of dollars on home loans to credit-strapped borrowers. Dodd still maintains he got no preferential treatment.
Dodd got two Countrywide mortgages in 2003, refinancing his home in Connecticut and another residence in Washington. Conrad's two Countrywide mortgages in 2004 were for a beach house in Delaware and an eight-unit apartment building in Bismarck in his home state of North Dakota.
Robert Feinberg, who worked in Countrywide's VIP section, told congressional investigators last month that the two senators were made aware that "who you know is basically how you're coming in here."
"You don't say 'no' to the VIP," Feinberg told Republican investigators for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, according to a transcript obtained by The Associated Press.
The next day, Feinberg testified before the Senate Ethics Committee, an indication the panel is actively investigating two of the chamber's more powerful members:
• Dodd heads the Banking Committee and is a major player in two big areas: solving the housing foreclosure and financial crises and putting together an overhaul of the U.S. health care system. A five-term senator, he is in a tough fight for re-election in 2010, partly because of the controversy over his mortgages.
• Conrad chairs the Budget Committee. He, too, shares an important role in the health care debate, as well as on legislation to curb global warming.
Unfortunately for Conrad and Dodd, Countrywide turned out to be a big failure and their lack of oversight contributed. It may well cost Dodd his seat in 2010 and Conrad may not be far behind.
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2 comments:
Sorry Rick; but I doubt even this will affect Conrad in the next election. Unless his challenger is willing to really hammer on his obfustication about the loan. Conrad and Dorgan couldn't get voted out of office if they were videotaped biting the heads off puppies.
It's too bad these two can't be thrown out of the halls of congress before the next election. It appears they are trying to hid behind a lie. No wonder we have so many problems when leaders with this type of character flaw are trying to lead our country.
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