Dealings with Banks

According to <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/07/AR20090…; target="”_blank”">a
Washington <span>Post</span> article</a>
this weekend, U.S. Senators Conrad and Dodd were cleared by
the Senate Select Committee on Ethics with respect to the senators'
membership in Countrywide Financial's VIP mortgage program. The
committee concluded that the senators were given special treatment, but
that others were given similarly special treatment and that the
senators did not benefit financially. But the committee criticized them
for their lack of concern for the appearance of impropriety and for
their apparent lack of curiosity concerning the VIP program.<br>
<br>
Local governments do a lot of business with banks, and banks would
logically want to give some officials special treatment. Officials who
are in any position to influence which banks get local government
business should refuse such special treatment, whether they would
benefit financially or not, and should disclose their dealings with
banks (including those that do not do business, but might seek to in
the future), so that there is no question the relationship is above
board.<br>
<br>