If you are a New York resident, please consider calling Eric Shneiderman's office.

[girl gone mad]

It looks like the White House is presently using underhanded tactics to try to pressure the NY AG to sign off on a multi-state settlement with the banks.

Gretchen Morgenson http://mobile.nytimes.com/article;jsessionid=DB104D53B3683FC25BAAB3450DE40429.w6?a=831530&single=1&f=19">writes:

Eric T. Schneiderman, the attorney general of New York, has come under increasing pressure from the Obama administration to drop his opposition to a wide-ranging state settlement with banks over dubious foreclosure practices, according to people briefed on discussions about the deal.

In recent weeks, Shaun Donovan, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and high-level Justice Department officials have been waging an intensifying campaign to try to persuade the attorney general to support the settlement, said the people briefed on the talks.

But Mr. Donovan and others in the administration have been contacting not only Mr. Schneiderman but his allies, including consumer groups and advocates for borrowers, seeking help to secure the attorney general’s participation in the deal, these people said. One recipient described the calls from Mr. Donovan, but asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation.

This deal would amount to a whitewash and a slap on the wrist for the http://4closurefraud.org">crazy amounts of fraud the banks have committed in dealing with foreclosures and securitization.

Several state AGs, chief among them Schneiderman, want to continue their investigations into foreclosure fraud and other wrongdoing, prosecute crimes, and hopefully put a stop to some of the more egregious activity. The Settlement Obama is pushing them to sign would instead give the banks full immunity and ultimately reward them for their bad behavior.

If you live in NY and support the AG's efforts, please call 800-771-7755 or 212-416-8000 and let them know that you want them to keep up the fight. They need to hear from citizens to counteract the astroturf campaign which they are being subjected to.

[sabrina 1]

1. Thanks for posting this.

That is BS. I hope he doesn't give in and the WH should not be protecting these thieves.

K&R

[slipslidingaway]

2. knr nt

[CelticThunder]

3. There are a lot of pro-Obama posters here. One of you want to try to defend this?