As
CRA Targeted By Otting Inner
City Press TCF Chemical
Comment Is In Detroit Test
Case
By Matthew R.
Lee, Video,
story,
FOIA
docs
NEW YORK CITY,
April 13 – The
US Treasury
Department is
the next stage
of a process
to try to
weaken and
take the
community out
of the 1977
Community
Reinvestment
Act. Docket
file here.
The
protagonist,
akin to Scott
Pruitt when he
was at the US
Environmental
Protection
Agency or Ryan
Zinke at
Interior, is
the Office of
the
Comptroller of
the Currency's
(OCC's) Joseph
Otting. He has
gone beyond
overall
attempts to
underling the
CRA to refusing
public comment on the
type of
business combination
applications on
which comment
has in the past
been accepted
and considered.
Photo here.
In fact, his OCC's
refusal comes
on
application
for which a
public comment
period was
specifically
listed on the
agency's
website, see
below. Now
after Otting
has been
grilled from
Congress,
Inner City
Press / Fair
Finance Watch
on April 13
timely submitted
this:
"This is a
request for a
full copy of,
and a timely
first comment
on, the
Applications
of TCF
National Bank
and Chemical
BankAs an
initial
matter, this
is a request
that the OCC
immediately
send by email
to Inner City
Press all
non-exempt
portions of
the
applications /
notices for
which the
Applicants
have requested
confidential
treatment.
Here is the
notice. This
comment,
submitted on
Saturday April
13, is timely:
"RECEIPT
3/15/2019
BUSINESS
COMBINATIONS
2019-CECOMBINATION-308014
TCF NB
CHEMICAL BANK
333 FORT ST.,
SUITE 100
DETROIT MI
WAYNE
4/13/2019." In
fact, any
comment
submitted
before Monday,
April 15 at 5
pm at least is
timely. But
this one is:
please
confirm.
Chemical Bank
in 2017 in the
Detroit MSA to
which the two
banks seek to
move their
headquarters
denied the
home purchase
loan
applications
of African
Americans more
than FOUR
TIMES more
frequently
than those of
whites, much
worse even
than the rest
of the
industry. This
is true even
though
Chemical Bank
reported, for
conventional
home purchase
loans, zero
denials for
African
Americans,
presumptively
not credible
on 51
applications.
Inner City
Press / Fair
Finance Watch
is timely
requesting an
evidentiary
hearing.
Also, prior
the requested
hearing and
for the
record, note
that A TCF
Financial
Corp.
shareholder
has accused
the company
and its board
of violating
securities
laws through
misleading
regulatory
filings ahead
of its
proposed
merger with
Chemical
Financial
Corp.
TCF and its
executives
omitted key
information,
including
financial
projections
for both
companies and
the raw data
underlying
them, from
registration
statements
they filed
with the
Securities
Exchange
Commission
urging
shareholders
to approve the
deal,
according to
the April 9
complaint
filed in
Delaware
federal court.
See, No.
19-cv-661.
The comment
period should
be extended;
evidentiary
hearings
should be
held; and on
the current
record, the
application
should not be
approved."
Watch this
site.
So
Inner City
Press / Fair
Finance Watch wrote
to the OCC,
including
Stephen Lybarger, as
follows:
"Thanks for
emailing this
letter but I
must say,
Inner City
Press / Fair
Finance Watch
it deeply
concerned by,
and hereby
opposes
it.
Heretofore our
comment on
just such
Business
Combination
proposals HAVE
been
considered by
the OCC. If
under
Comptroller
Otting the OCC
is changing
its longtime
practice it
needs to do a
notice and
comment
process under
the APA. This
is
lawless.
In this case,
the proposal
we commented
on
specifically
provides for a
comment
period: Please
retract your
letter and
consider
appropriately
our comment,
or explain in
writing
why.
Please confirm
receipt of
these
requests."
The OCC
has not
responded or
reversed
itself to
consider the comments,
even as Inner
City Press
pursues Chinatown
FSB documents
at agencies
which don't
problematize
such requests
for bogus
FOIA fee
waiver issues.
Now Rep. Katie
Porter
has written to
Otting,
including "If
the OCC fails
to consider
community
group comments
during a
merger-approval
process, that
would directly
contradict the
law. 12 CFR 8
5.33 also
states: “When
the OCC
evaluates an
application
for a business
combination
under the
Community
Reinvestment
Act, the OCC
also considers
the
performance of
the applicant
and the other
depository
institutions
involved in
the business
combination in
helping to
meet the
credit needs
of the
relevant
communities,
including low-
and
moderate-income
neighborhoods,
consistent
with safe and
sound banking
practices." 2.
How are your
proposed
changes to
community
group comment
consideration
during
the
merger-approval
process
consistent
with 12 CFR §
5.33? ...
See,David
Dayen, "The
Fake Public
Comments
Supporting A
Bank Merger
Are Coming
From Inside
the House,"
The Intercept
(September
2018), here.
3. Do you
intend to
recuse
yourself from
the new
rule-making,
given the
irregularities
confirmed in
One West's CRA
review process
while you were
CEO? If not,
how will you
engage in this
rule-making
without
prejudice
extending from
your
experience
with the One
West/CIT
merger?
Community
groups submit
their comments
during the
merger-approval
process with
the specific i
Please respond
to these
inquiries in
writing by
April 15th."Watch
this site.
Otting's
OCC in a
February 26, 2019
letter to
Inner City
Press / Fair
Finance Watch
concerning its
timely comment
opposing the
application to
the OCC by
Long
Island-based
Hanover
Community Bank
to acquire
Chinatown
Federal
Savings Bank,
stated that
"the business
combination
application
filed with the
OCC in
connection
with Hanover's
acquisition,
referenced
above, is not
subject
to public
comment."
Photo of
letter here.
This is a
direct attack on
the CRA and on public
participation
more
generally.
Here's from
the Fair
Finance Watch
comment Otting
is refusing to
consider:
"February 18,
2019 Via
e-mail
Office of the
Comptroller of
the Currency
Northeastern
District
Office Acting
Director for
District
Licensing,
Marva V.
Cummings 340
Madison
Avenue, Fifth
Floor New
York, NY
10173-0002
Re: Timely
First Comment
on OCC
2019-NE-Combination-307316,
re
Applications
by Hanover to
acquire
Chinatown FSB
Dear Ms.
Cummings and
others in the
OCC:
This is a
timely first
comment
opposing and
requesting an
extension of
the OCC's
public comment
period on the
Applications
by Hanover to
acquire
Chinatown
FSB.
The applicant
Hanover in the
New York City
MSA in 2017
made 269 home
purchase loans
to Asians --
and NONE to
African
Americans.
Note that
Hanover's CRA
assessment
area includes
The Bronx, and
Brooklyn.
Note that when
Hanover opened
a deposit
taking branch
in NYC, in
Forest Hills,
its press
release said
nothing about
a focus on
Chinese
Americans or
Asians or any
limitations or
restrictions
on lending, here.
Hanover does
not even
appear to
offer any FHA,
FSA/RHS, and
VA
home-purchase
loans. This is
not
acceptable.... The
comment period
should be
extended;
evidentiary
hearings
should be
held; and on
the current
record, the
application
should not be
approved." Then
Otting says, we
don't care, we
won't listen.
Otting, in
order to
hinder Press
coverage of
how many banks
he meets with
by
changing the
OCC's long
standing FOIA
fee waiver
policy, is
saying he will
make it harder
to get CRA information
too. This is
the "new" OCC - see its
letter on new
policies,
below.
Under Otting,
who is throwing
up roadblocks
to the release
of his
calendar under
the Freedom of
Information
Act (see
below), "the
OCC is
instructing
examiners to
investigate
some of the
claims
separately,
rather than
addressing
them within
the
merger-approval
process.
“We require a
certain level
of detail and
specificity in
comments,”
Comptroller of
the Currency
Joseph Otting
said in a
written
statement. 'The
changes ensure
that concerns
are validated
by exam staff
who are best
positioned to
review [their]
merits.'"
This is
a backdoor
safe harbor. Since
98% of banks
are rated
Satisfactory
or Outstanding
(including
those which
later are found
guilty of
discrimination
and redlining),
to discount
comments that
are not
"validated" by
these bogus
and inflated
rating is
regulatory
malpractice.
Perhaps
this is why
Otting is
hiding his
calendar;
perhaps the
WSJ's Lalita
Clozel will dig
further.
As to the
Federal
Reserve, Inner
City Press has
been informed
of a memo by a major
law firm
which has
hired and used
former Fed Legal
Division staff
bragging about
the fast Fed
approvals it
is receiving. We'll
have more on
this - including
on BB&T / Suntrust,
see here.
On
September 12
Fair Finance
Watch (and on
FOIA, Inner
City Press)
commented to
the OCC, here.
On
January 16
Inner City
Press asked
the OCC on the
expedited
basis for
records to
disclose
Otting's
meetings with
the banking
industry and
others.
But in a
letter dated
January 31,
the OCC for
the first time
in years
denied Inner
City Press'
fee waiver
request on
this one
request,
despite the
request using
the same
language as
requests the
OCC has granted
for Inner City
Press
repeatedly.
The only
difference is
the subject of
the FOIA
request:
Otting. This is
an abuse of
power. Inner
City Press has
appealed:
"Inner City
Press is
appealing Mr
Frank Vance's
letter dated
January 31,
2019 which
denies, for
the first time
in years,
Inner City
Press' request
for a fee
waiver -
because the
request
concerns
Comtroller
Otting and his
schedule.
Inner City
Press is a
media that
covers the OCC...
it seeks this
information to
educate the
public about
the operations
of the OCC.
The language
of the fee
waiver request
was the same
as the OCC has
requested
granted - now
suddenly a new
standard is
applied, due
to the subject
matter of the
request. This
is
unacceptable.
The denial
letter doesn't
even inform of
the right to
appeal, and
the request
number is not
listed in our
account -
thereby
blocking
submission of
the appeal. We
are submitting
under the
number of
another of our
2019 requests
on which fee
waiver WAS
granted, on
the same
language. We
ask for
expedited
ruling on this
appeal, and an
explanation."
The OCC has
turned around
to say
it will now
deny FOIA fee
waiver requests
for banks'
merger applications
and CRA plans:
"Good
afternoon Mr.
Lee.
I am writing
to you
regarding your
correspondence
of February
11, 2019, as
it relates to
your January
17, 2019 FOIA
request number
2019-00104.
Although you
request a fee
waiver in
connection
with your FOIA
request, you
do not provide
a sufficient
justification
for the
granting of
the waiver in
either your
January 17 or
your February
11
correspondence.
I understand
that in the
past, the OCC
has granted
you fee
waivers based
on the same or
similar
language used
in your most
recent
request, and
that you may
not have
received an
adequate
explanation as
to why your
recent request
was not being
handled in a
similar manner
as past
requests.
Please be
aware that
going forward,
with respect
to your case
number
2019-00104 and
all other
requests made
by any
requester for
any
information,
the OCC will
only grant fee
waivers on a
case-by case
basis when a
requester has
affirmatively
demonstrated
entitlement to
a fee waiver
in accordance
with the
requirements
of the FOIA at
5 U.S.C.
552(a)(4)(A)(iii).
This approach
is in
accordance
with the FOIA
statute and
DOJ
guidance.
In applicable
guidance, DOJ
has
stated:
“The
Department of
Justice stands
committed to
encouraging
agencies to
waive fees
under the FOIA
whenever the
statutory fee
waiver
standard is
met. By the
same token, of
course,
agencies also
are expected
to respect the
balance drawn
in the
statute,
safeguarding
federal funds
by granting
waivers or
reductions
only where it
is determined
that the
statutory
standard is
satisfied.”
see FOIA
Update, Vol.
VIII, No. 1
(“OIP
Guidance: New
Fee Waiver
Policy
Guidance”)
(emphasis
added).
Moreover, the
OCC’s approach
is consistent
with case law,
which provides
that each fee
waiver request
is considered
on a
case-by-case
basis because
each request
involves
varied
information.
See Media
Access Project
v. FCC, 883
F.2d 1063
(D.C. Cir
1989).
Additionally,
the OCC is not
bound to grant
a fee waiver
to a requester
in a
particular
case just
because it has
granted the
requester
waivers in the
past.
See e.g.,
Judicial Watch
Inc., v. DOJ,
No. 99-2315,
2000 WL
33724693 at
*5
(D.D.C. Aug.
17, 2000);
Judicial
Watch, Inc.,
v. DOJ, No.
97-2089, Slip
op. at 14
(D.D.C. July
14,
1998).
The burden for
establishing
that a fee
waiver is
justified is
on the
requester.
See Friends of
the Coast Fork
v. U.S. Dep’t
of the
Interior, 110
F.3d 53, 55
(9th Cir.
1997).
Thus, in order
for the OCC to
determine
whether your
request meets
the
requirements
for a fee
waiver, you
must
demonstrate
that the OCC’s
disclosure in
response to
your request
meets the
standard set
forth in
Section
552(a)(4)(A)(iii).
You may wish
to consult
DOJ’s guidance
at
https://www.justice.gov/oip/blog/foia-update-new-fee-waiver-policy-guidance
in formulating
your
justification.
Until these
issues are
resolved with
respect to
your fee
waiver, the
clock is
stopped on
your FOIA
request.
Best
Regards,
Kristin
Merritt
Kristin
Merritt
Special
Counsel
Administrative
& Internal
Law
Office of the
Comptroller of
the
Currency
400 7th St.,
S.W.
Washington,
D.C.
20219."
We'll have
more on this.
And
here's
the request
the OCC is delaying
on:
"Dear
OCC FOIA Officer: Inner City
Press / Fair Finance Watch
(ICP) makes this request for
records pursuant to the
Freedom of Information Act
(“FOIA”), 5 U.S.C. § 552, and
OCC regulations. ICP requests
copies of records sufficient
to show all of Comptroller
Otting's scheduled meetings,
appointments, and scheduled
events from the date he became
Comptroller to the date of
your response including but
not limited to Outlook
calendar entries and daily
briefing books for Comptroller
Otting on those dates... ICP
requests that you expedite the
processing of this request.
There is media interest and
there exist possible questions
concerning the OCC's
integrity, which affect public
confidence. See e.g. this
article and the CRA ANPR
since." We'll have more on
this. Otting's OneWest
colleague and now boss, US
Treasury Department Steve
Mnuchin on December 22 from
Cabo called six big US banks:
"Brian Moynihan, Bank of
America; Michael Corbat, Citi;
David Solomon, Goldman Sachs;
Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan Chase,
James Gorman, Morgan Stanley;
Tim Sloan, Wells Fargo. The
CEOs confirmed that they have
ample liquidity available for
lending to consumer, business
markets, and all other market
operations. He also confirmed
that they have not experienced
any clearance or margin issues
and that the markets continue
to function properly.
Tomorrow, the Secretary will
convene a call with the
President’s Working Group on
financial markets, which he
chairs. This includes the
Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System, the
Securities and Exchange
Commission, and the
Commodities Futures Trading
Commission. He has also
invited the office of the
Comptroller of the Currency."
That's Joseph Otting, with
whom Mnuchin worked at and on
selling OneWest Bank to CIT
Group, complete with falsified
pro-merger comments Inner City
Press reported on. Otting's
OCC is in a process to try to
weaken and take the community
out of the 1977 Community
Reinvestment Act. Docket file
here.
The protagonist, akin to Scott
Pruitt when he was at the US
Environmental Protection
Agency, is Comptroller of the
Current Joseph Otting. On
September 12 Fair Finance
Watch (and on FOIA, Inner City
Press) commented to the OCC, here.
At the November 19 deadline,
not (yet) posted was Inner
City Press' November 17 fourth
comment, just as Otting's OCC
absurdly waited 13 days to try
to rule it does not have to
consider Fair Finance Watch's
comments on WSFS Bank. But
Inner City Press has timely
protested WSFS to the Federal
Reserve - and has now found
out that WSFS is even trying
to withhold its CRA
information from the public,
photo
here. So Inner City
Press has submitted this
Freedom of Information Act
request: "
This is a FOIA request for the
all withheld portions of the
applications by WSFS to
acquire Beneficial, including
but not limited to
presumptively mis-labeled
“Confidential” exhibits about
WSFS's CRA program
(“Confidential” Exhibit 9),
(Beneficial's subsidiaries
(“Confidential” Exhibit 3),
Board of Directors
resolutions, due diligence
(“Confidential” Exhibit 10),
operating economy / cost
savings (there are branch
closings projected), names of
prospective managers (ages,
requested on application,
apparently not provided), and
for all records reflecting FRS
communications with WSFS or
Beneficial or their affiliates
for the past twelve (12)
months." A fifth comment
submitted including that "the
OCC is already undermining
CRA. Our comments to the OCC
on WSFS - Beneficial have yet
to be acted on. That comment
was submitted on November 6.
Now on November 19, two weeks
later, the OCC has tellingly
said it will not consider it -
despite a Federal Reserve
Board comment period on the
same transaction remaining
open until at least November
27. The OCC's attempt to
ignore substantive criticism
of some banks' performance,
while Comptroller Otting
previously solicited false
comments support his OneWest
Bank, are a symbol all what is
wrong with this process, and
today's OCC.
While if the past
is any guide the OCC will
forwarded ICP's comment to the
FRB by the FRB, we note in
this connection that WSFS'
comments on the ANPR favor, as
Otting clearly does, dulling
the LMI focus of CRA to make
it easier for banks. We
oppose all of this.
Since October 11
the OCC has denied expedited
process to our FOIA request(s)
for records essential in order
to comment on this proposal.
OCC Deputy Chief Counsel
Charles Steele on November 7
wrote on that “merger between
One West Bank and CIT Bank.
You do not demonstrate how
your request concerns a matter
of current exigency to the
American public or how a delay
in the OCC's response to your
request would compromise a
significant recognized
interest.” Now Inner City
Press has submitted an
unquestionably timely comment
to the Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadephia, with more for
example that "In the Salisbury
MD-DE MSA in 2017, WSFS for
conventional home purchase
loans based on its outreach
got two applications from
African Americans - and denied
them both. It got two from
Latinos and denied. From
whites it approve seven of ten
applications." And see below.
Given the false commenting
issues in the OneWest - CIT
proceeding, and the importance
of CRA to our communities,
this denial is insulting and
further makes this ANPR
commenting process, ostensibly
closing now on November 19,
illegitimate." Among
them, as reviewed by Inner
City Press: Fulton
Financial, on
which ICP has
previously
comment,
perhaps
understandably
given its
lending record
urges
“De-couple CRA
from Fair
Lending... CRA
and Fair
Lending have
complementary
but different
social and
policy
objectives.
CRA ratings
should not be
downgraded
based on the
results of a
bank's fair
lending
performance
and exam
results.” FFW
disagrees:
racial
discrimination
in lending
means a bank
is NOT meeting
the credit
needs of its
entire
community.
The ABA writes
that “'needs
to improve'
CRA rating and
should clarify
that such a
rating will
not be a de
facto bar to
opening new
branches or
engaging in
other
activities
requiring
regulatory
approval.” FFW
disagrees: a
bank with a
rare NTI (or
Substantial
Non-compliance)
record should
be barred from
merging or
expanding.
This is the
enforcement
mechanism of
CRA.
Th Association
of Military
Banks of
America urges,
“Because the
financial
challenges
military
communities
face are less
dependent on
income
distinctions
than in
geographically-defined
communities,
we recommend
that all
financial
services to
the military
community
should be
presumed to
qualify for
CRA credit,
regardless of
whether the
recipient fits
within a
classic LMI
category.” FFW
disagrees with
this blurring
of the lines.
Loans to five
star generals
are not CRA
loans.
Heartland Tri
State Bank
says “Any bank
with assets
less than One
Billion
Dollars should
not be subject
to CRA
examinations.”
FFW disagrees,
precisely
because such
banks play (or
don't play)
such a role in
the economies
of some
communities.
Meanwhile the
OCC is already
undermining
CRA.
The OCC has denied expedited
process to our FOIA request(s)
for records essential in order
to comment on this proposal.
OCC Deputy Chief Counsel
Charles Steele on November 7
wrote on that “merger between
One West Bank and CIT Bank.
You do not demonstrate how
your request concerns a matter
of current exigency to the
American public or how a delay
in the OCC's response to your
request would compromise a
significant recognized
interest.” Given the false
commenting issues in the
OneWest - CIT proceeding, and
the importance of CRA to our
communities, this denial is
insulting and further makes
this ANPR commenting process,
ostensibly closing on November
19, illegitimate...
On October
17, yet more on Otting's
assault on the CRA became
known. He has taken to
devaluing or lumping together
and not putting in the docket
or online the comments of
community groups, calling them
mass comments or form letters
- when he himself not only
solicited mass comments for
the OneWest - CIT merger from
which he personally profited,
but even got some fraudulent
comments.
Inner City
Press / Fair
Finance Watch
submitted
the documents
obtained under
FOIA into the
record
before the OCC. Now,
on a ten day
delay, the OCC
has put into the file
a cursory
memo of its
October 12
meeting with
bankers ranging
from Citigroup
(Lloyd Brown and Devika
Murray
Bacchus), Capital
One (James
Matthews), TIAA and
Regions to Wells Fargo,
Fifth Third, Huntington
and PNC, among
others.
This has the
trappings of
transparency,
but none of
the substance.
Topics of discussion
are
purportedly
listed - but
what was said,
particularly
by the OCC
participants:
Grovetta
Gardineer,
Senior Deputy
Comptroller
for Compliance
and Community
Affairs
Beverly Cole,
Deputy
Comptroller
for
Compliance
Supervision
Donna Murphy,
Deputy
Comptroller
for
Compliance
Risk Policy
Allison
Hester-Haddad,
Counsel, Chief
Counsel’s
Office
Daniel
Sufranski, Law
Clerk, Chief
Counsel’s
Office. Listed
but without
further detail
is, for
example,
"Logistical
issues,
including the
interrelated
nature of the
issues raised
by the ANPR, the
timing of the
rulemaking
process,
participation
by the other
federal
banking
agencies, and
whether
concepts not
discussed in
the ANPR would
remain under a new
rule." So
what was said?
And where is the
OCC's response
to Inner City
Press'
previous FOIA
request? We
will have more
on this.
Inner
City Press has
previously
commented that
"These
documents,
which must be
considered as
part of this
ANPR and any
subsequent
formal
rulemaking,
show that
fraudulent
comments
supporting
Otting's
OneWest were
submitted to
the OCC -
presumptively
attributable
to Otting.
The documents
show that the
OCC sought an
explanation
from Otting's
/ OneWest's
outside
counsel - and
the OCC's and
Justice
Department's
response to
date reflect
that no such
explanation
was ever
provided. The
OCC
nevertheless
approved the
merger and
even gave
weight to the
fraudulent
comments.
But via the
OCC and Regulations.gov
websites, we
are told "This
count refers
to the total
comment /
submissions
received on
this document,
as of 11:59 PM
yesterday.
Note: Agencies
review all
submissions,
however some
agencies may
choose to
redact, or
withhold,
certain
submissions
(or portions
thereof) such
as those
containing
private or
proprietary
information,
inappropriate
language, or
duplicate/near
duplicate
examples of a
mass-mail
campaign. This
can result in
discrepancies
between this
count and
those
displayed when
conducting
searches on
the Public
Submission
document
type." At
least ten
comments, all
under the name
Ceiba, were bundled
as one. Otting
is trying to
have it both
ways, or
worse. Under
him, the OCC has ignored the
rare racial redlining
settlement by Klein Bank,
rubber stamping Old National's
acquisition of the bank over
the timely and detailed
objection and public hearing
request of Fair Finance Watch.
Otting doesn't like public
hearings. In April 2018
his OCC approved
an application by E-Trade
Saving Bank which Fair Finance
Watch had challenged
based on the bank having
no fewer than six states rare
"Needs to Improve" CRA
ratings. FFW noted
rare Needs to Improve ratings
for the entire states of
Arizona, Colorado, Florida,
Georgia, Michigan and Oregon,
and an undeserved
“Satisfactory” for New York.
Otting's OCC, after the
approval, helpfully contacted
E-Trade Bank to tell it that
upon (Otting's) reflection, it
was no longer even subject to
the Community Reinvestment
Act. Another institution was
similarly contacted - the OCC
under Otting is going through
its roster of banks seeing
which ones it can "free" from
CRA even if they hadn't
requested in. In one case,
some in the bank still didn't
want Otting's freedom and move
more business into the bank to
get a second reversal of
Otting's orders. But it shows
where Otting is coming from,
beyond the unexplained
comment-fraud for which he
should be recused. Inner City
Press on October 11 raised the
E-Trade (and another bank)
issue into the record on the
Advanced Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking. But, Otting being
Otting, his OCC denied
expedited processing for Inner
City Press' Freedom of
Information Act request bout
his deregulation move, ruling
that "You requested all
records in the OCC's
possession concerning the
applicability of the Community
Reinvestment Act to - or
exemption there from - any
affiliate of E-Trade or Bank
of America California NA for
the time period of October 11,
2016 to October 11, 2018. You
also requested expedited
processing of your request on
the basis that the ANPR on CRA
is open through November 19,
2018. Your request for
expedited processing does not
meet the criteria provided for
in 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(E) and
Treasury disclosure
regulations at 31 C.F.R.
1.5(e)." And that
regulation... requires a
formal certification. So Inner
City Press has appealed: "As
a a person primarily
engaged in disseminating
information, I am appealing
the denial of expedited
processing of my FOIA request,
summarized by the OCC as for
all records in the OCC's
possession concerning the
applicability of the Community
Reinvestment Act to - or
exemption there from - any
affiliate of E-Trade or Bank
of America California NA for
the time period of October 11,
2016 to October 11, 2018.
...The OCC under Joseph
Otting's actions to try to
find banks to exempt from CRA
outrageous and something on
which there is an
urgency to inform the public
concerning actual or alleged
Federal Government activity.
As noted in my request, this
is particularly the case given
the OCC's unilateral moves
regarding the CRA. I declare
under penalty of perjury that
the foregoing is true and
correct to the best of my
knowledge and belief. Executed
on October 16, 2018." Watch
this site.
On
September 29 The
Intercept dug into it,
citing FFW's formal request
that Otting recuse himself -
and so here
now are some of the Freedom of
Information Act documents. On
October 2 in the Senate
Banking Committee, Otting
insisted he is not trying to
weaken the CRA; he called the
ANPR an "Advanced Notice of
Public Rulemaking" instead of
Proposed. He said he met with
1100 individuals - still
undisclosed - and expects five
to ten thousand comments on
the ANPR. (So far there are 33
listed but only 29 visible).
Senator Sherrod Brown began by
asking him indirectly about
the blogs at CFPB of Eric
Blankenstein. We'll have more
on this. And this - as
obtained by Inner City Press
and fellow NCRC
member CRC, here are more
of the documents, for
(this time) free download on Patreon.
On October
1 Inner City Press / Fair
Finance Watch
submitted the documents
obtained under FOIA into the record
before the OCC, stating that
"These documents, which must
be considered as part of this
ANPR and any subsequent formal
rulemaking, show that
fraudulent comments supporting
Otting's OneWest were
submitted to the OCC -
presumptively attributable to
Otting.
The documents show that the
OCC sought an explanation from
Otting's / OneWest's outside
counsel - and the OCC's and
Justice Department's response
to date reflect that no such
explanation was ever provided.
The OCC nevertheless approved
the merger and even gave
weight to the fraudulent
comments. On this record we
again insist that Otting be
recused from this ANPR and any
related rulemaking or
proceedings. We have other
substantive concerns about
this ANPR but view the
question of Mr Otting's
recusal (and of with whom he
has met, on which Inner City
Press has another long-pending
FOIA request) as threshold
matter than must be addressed
as quickly as possible."
The FOIA
document as provided by the
OCC and US Department of
Justice reflect that the OCC
never followed up on its lone
(and wan) question to Otting's
counsel as Sullivan &
Cromwell to explain the
fraudulent comments. Nor did
this counsel respond to
questions from The Intercept's
David Dayen, who reports:
"AFTER A YEARLONG effort to
obtain the information, which
included ongoing litigation,
the OCC made available 15
pages. They contain emails to
and from David Finnegan, an
OCC senior licensing analyst
who was a point of contact for
public comment on the merger.
Four individuals contended in
emails to Finnegan that they
never sent the comment letters
supporting the merger. “This
is to bring to your attention
that I received an email from
the office of OCC regarding a
subject I am completely
unaware of,” wrote one
individual (the OCC redacted
the emailers’ identifying
information). “I DID NOT send
the email below that you
responded to. This is a
fraudulent use of my email
account.” The other three sent
similar complaints.
The letter of support
attributed to these
individuals was identical to
the letter posted at the
OneWest Bank website.
Matthew Lee of Inner City
Press expressed outrage at the
fake comments. “There’s
nothing more offensive of
speech rights than
artificially presenting
someone as saying something
you don’t believe,” Lee said.
“You have the right to be
silent. It’s so beyond the
pale.”
FOIA
Finds: OneWest CIT Ban... by on
Scribd
And
now Otting simply refuses to consider
public comments on the takeover of a
bank in Chinatown.
***
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