Truthdigger of the Week: Ex-TARP Investigator Neil Barofsky
"Under Barofsky’s leadership, SIGTARP (the office of the Special Inspector General for TARP), published nine quarterly reports and 13 audits. By February 2011, he had charged a few dozen people with civil or criminal fraud, won 14 convictions and recovered $150 million in taxpayer money.
His investigations also confirmed the lopsidedness between what financial institutions got out of the bailouts and what homeowners were given. American Express, for example, was awarded $3.7 billion during the crisis, while only $1 billion was spent on homeowners during Barofsky’s time as investigator.
For 16 months, Barofsky endured stubborn opposition to his work. In a town (Washington, D.C.) and organization (the U.S. government) where almost everyone appears to be engaged in some measure of chicanery—if not outright deception—Barofsky was appointed to follow trails of suspected wrongdoing and alleged criminality wherever he found them. His peers advised caution. “After canvassing other inspector generals for guidance,” The New York Times wrote in 2010, “… he learned of different priorities: maintaining and possibly increasing budgets, appearing to be active—and not making enemies.” Going along to get along, however, was not his main priority.
Investigating the use of bailout money required the cooperation of numerous officials. Some were unhelpful. Others, he writes, including Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, were downright obstructive."
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/truthdigger_of_the_week_ex-tarp_investigator_neil_barofsky_20120804/
Tarp funds for the rich, The Libor scandal, Ms. Warren's removal from the Consumer Protection Agency makes going along to get along a devastating burden on the American family....
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