Posts by Elana Schor

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) is acting under a legal mandate to investigate the “causes of the collapse of each major financial institution” that failed or received a government bailout in the panicked days of last fall — and the FCIC intends to act quickly, Chairman Phil Angelides said today.
By the end of October, [...]

The 10 members of the panel named by Congress to investigate the causes of last year’s economic implosion appear to be wrestling with their role in this year’s push for financial industry regulatory reform, judging from their statements at today’s first hearing.
Brooksley Born, who fought unsuccessfully to regulate derivatives during her years at the helm [...]

The 10-member commission appointed by Congress to investigate the causes of the nation’s financial meltdown holds its first meeting this morning. But with momentum for stronger regulation of Wall Street slowing and New York emerging as the center of bailout accountability, the commission may have to forgo Washington’s traditional deliberative instinct in order to succeed.
One [...]

One watchdog says the strange giving patterns just shows “the financial industry isn’t sure what’s happening to itself.”

Public protections against fraud hang in the balance over the upcoming SEC budget battle.

As the Wall Street bailout nears its first anniversary, a risky aspect of the financial rescue has flown largely under the radar.

As the House works to set limits on carbon emissions, electric utilities see opportunity.

The proposal to tax private-equity managers’ fees as income rather than at the lower capital gains rate — known as “carried interest” — has been one of the hottest issues on Congress’ plate since it was first proposed nearly two years ago. One veteran K Streeter called it “probably the most lobbied tax provision” since [...]

An analysis of Federal Election Committee filings by The Washington Independent shows a steep drop-off in financial industry giving.

The Associated Press reported late Tuesday that recipients of Troubled Asset Relief Program bailout money are spending freely on lobbying Congress, while holding onto their government aid — but that’s not the whole story.
The AP noted that seven of the top 10 bailout beneficiaries spent more money on lobbying in the first quarter of 2009 [...]