New Bank Settlement to be Subsidized by...Yup..the Taxpayers?

No Teeth Settlement Exposed by Financial Times.
- Naked Conch - Posted by Matt Gardi -  Feb 17, 2012

Leave it to a foreign news source to cover the most pressing issue in the USA.  No need for American news sources to cover the shortcomings of a settlement that relieves global bankers from criminal prosecution for the greatest fraud in world history.

Even for those that thought that the Federal and State regulators' recent settlement with the Big Banks was a step in the right direction, albeit a small one, we now learn that not only have the banks evaded criminal prosecution for destroying the vast majority of our title histories, but in fact, we the taxpayers, will be the ones paying the settlement on the bankers' behalf.

This only continues to confirm that our Federal and State regulators are neutered by the Banks' control and influence, and that it is imperative that we address the infractions and damage done at a local level.

According to the Financial Times, (Along with a great analysis available at ZeroHedge) an "Unannounced Clause Links HAMP payments with the pact."  The article states,

However, a clause in the provisional agreement – which has not been made public – allows the banks to count future loan modifications made under a 2009 foreclosure-prevention initiative towards their restructuring obligations for the new settlement, according to people familiar with the matter. The existing $30bn initiative, the Home Affordable Modification Programme (Hamp), provides taxpayer funds as an incentive to banks, third party investors and troubled borrowers to arrange loan modifications.

Neil Barofsky, a Democrat and the former special inspector-general of the troubled asset relief programme, described this clause as “scandalous”.

“It turns the notion that this is about justice and accountability on its head,” Mr Barofsky said.

BofA, for instance, will be able to use future modifications made under Hamp towards the $7.6bn in borrower assistance it is committed to provide under the settlement. Under Hamp, the bank will receive payments for averting borrower default and reimbursement from taxpayers for principal written down."
Sweet.  Just sweet.

Or better put, as Tyler Durder pens on ZeroHedge.com, "Just to be clear: the guilty party in a fraud against taxpayers has their 'punishment' paid for by the innocent taxpayer who had the crime committed against them? ok, thank you."

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