“An FBI spokesperson says that for the time being the agency is not commenting on the case. But already the investigation has provided a window into yet another layer of corruption that took place amid the national housing boom and its subsequent hangover—a period that saw a surge in real estate malfeasance of every imaginable variety, including false loan applications, predatory lending schemes, illegal property flipping, equity skimming, and “air loans” (loans for property that doesn’t exist). According to FBI data, the number of suspicious activity reports related to real estate fraud filed by financial institutions jumped to 67,190 in 2009 from 6,936 in 2003.”
Rachel Maddow breaks down the Ensign debacle.
“Our place, in terms of being considered one of or the most corrupt state in terms of politics, is pretty secure. It’s almost like we’ve kind of relegated New Jersey to second place, and Louisiana’s kind of like on injured reserve or something.”
ex-IL Gov. Jim Edgar (R), the last elected governor not to face criminal charges. Edgar spoke to the AP in Champaign, IL.
- Hotline
Three Out Of Four Oil And Gas Lobbyists Worked For Federal Government
Three out of every four lobbyists who represent oil and gas companies previously worked in the federal government, a proportion that far exceeds the usual revolving-door standards on Capitol Hill, a Washington Post analysis shows.
CSPAN’s Brian Lamb interviews writer Alex Gibney, director of “Casino Jack,” a film documentary about convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
