|
 |
 |
|
Cummings questions Issa over removal of information in case files
The top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee questioned the panel’s chairman Wednesday about why he won’t disclose details about lawmakers under investigation for receiving home loans through Countrywide Financial’s VIP program.
In a letter sent Wednesday, ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) implored committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) to explain why he wished to redact information in the case files of several lawmakers whose names were sent to House Ethics.
“It is my understanding that now, after discovering that all of these previously unidentified Republican House Members received VIP loans, you have instructed the law firm responding to your Countrywide subpoena to redact the names and any other information that might identify specific Members of Congress from any additional documents still to be produced to the committee,” Cummings wrote.
“It is unclear why you have directed these redactions at this time.
“After news broke this month that you had referred these Members to the House Ethics Committee, press accounts reported that you vowed that the Oversight Committee would continue its investigation.”
So far, four lawmakers have been named in the probe for allegedly receiving special treatment from Countrywide — National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas), House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (Calif.), Rep. Elton Gallegly (Calif.) and Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), whose named initially surfaced in 2009. All have denied wrongdoing.
Shortly after the letter’s release, Republican committee staff said lawmakers would be provided two files — one with exclusions of information and the other without.
“For Members of Congress, the committee has requested that Bank of America deliver two copies of all files — one unredacted and the other in redacted format,” said Republican panel spokesman Frederick Hill.
“The central assertion in ranking member Cummings’s letter is deeply misleading and follows a three-year pattern of attempting to obstruct the committee’s efforts to examine the Countrywide VIP program, including the involvement of House and Senate members and staff.”
Cummings criticized Issa for contradicting “many of your previous statements calling for full disclosure of precisely this information.”
The investigation is centered around loans provided under the “Friends of Angelo” program directed by the now defunct company’s CEO, Angelo Mozilo.
Cummings also has asked Issa to bring Mozilo in to to testify before the panel.
Most Viewed RSS Feed »
