In a follow up to the recent $285 million settlement reached between the SEC and Citigroup, someone other than Roy Oppenheim is starting to ask the hard questions of why do the banks keep getting a “get out of jail free card”? Roy Oppenheim on Reducing Mortgage Fraud, Banks Take Responsibility | South Florida Law Blog.
It was reported in the New York Post that federal court Judge Jed Rakoff placed SEC Chief Mary Schapiro in the hot seat, when he ordered a court hearing in response to the “sweetheart” settlement agreement reached between the SEC and Citigroup.
Judge Rakoff wants SEC to explain Citi’s sweetheart deal – NYPOST.com.
It appears that SEC chief Schapiro is having trouble grasping this simple concept:
stop going soft on the banks!
Judge Rakoff made an interesting point when he asked why the settlement agreement should be accepted when Citigroup is refusing to admit or deny any fraudulent bank practices. The obvious answer is no, such a settlement should not be accepted.
Judge Rakoff stated that the purpose of the SEC is to “ensure transparency in the financial marketplace.” If the SEC wants to live up its purpose, it needs to keep up the pressure on top banking officials.
If there is even a remote chance of changing the banking industry, Giants like Citi need to be held accountable for their wrongdoings. But with the SEC’s failure to actively investigate and charge banks with securities fraud, it’s eventually the homeowners that pay the high price.
The SEC had brought similar charges against Goldman Sachs back in 2010 which culminated in the largest fine to have ever been imposed on a financial institution, $ 550 million. And yet CitiGroup, which is one of the largest financial institutions, is getting a sweet deal in only being asked to pay less than one-fifth of Goldman Sachs’ penalty.
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