Whistleblowers Get Paid, Countrywide Chairman Gets

December 23, 2014

loans, generating nice fees to Countrywide. Mortgage to get the government’s investigation started, Countrywide, was forced to pay out billions. Said Now in turn sold off the mortgages to the FHA while make the case understandable, and explain Attorney General Eric Holder at the time: Countrywide sold MBSs to Fannie Mae and Freddie why it is worthwhile [for them] to pursue it. Mac. Bank of America has acknowledged that, Missing from any of the public discussion over the in the years leading up to the financial All of which is going to help make “whistleblower announcement last week was the one scoundrel who crisis that devastated our economy in 2008, attorney” Mahany wealthy in the process, as the got away with sums that make these whistleblower it, Merrill Lynch, and Countrywide sold payouts seem tame by comparison: the chief details will no doubt be added to his book, Saints, billions of dollars of RMBS [residential Sinners & Heroes: Covert Ops in the War Against miscreant in charge of Countrywide, Angelo Mozilo mortgage-backed securities] backed by toxic the C-Suite Mafia, before it gets released in March. (pictured above). The son of a butcher, Mozilo met his mentor, David Loeb, while getting his BS degree loans whose quality and level of risk they Mahany says he wants to give credit to whistleblowers from Fordham. Upon graduation the two started knowingly misrepresented to investors and ast August, Bank of America agreed to who risk everything to expose the fraud and a mortgage business and learned quickly just how the U.S. government. pay out nearly $17 billion to settle sixteen corruption in places like banks, hospitals, and federal profitable it was, especially if corners were cut. Early lawsuits over making and marketing What about the master fraudster himself? Mozilo is contractors. These are the real heroes, according to on he resisted the temptation to issue loans to poor fraudulent mortgages leading up to the the thug whom CNN named as one of the “Ten Most Mahany: credit risks, but they just went to his competitors start of the Great Recession, setting a record in the Wanted Culprits of the 2008 financial collapse in instead. By the early ’90s he chucked his morals and process. But the details, under the False Claims Doctors and billing clerks who stand up the Unites States.” This is the star of the Academy started doing the same. Act, remained sealed until last week. The big news, against shady hospital billing practices, loan Award-winning documentary, Inside Job. In its according to the Wall Street Journal, was just how underwriters who expose bad loan practices, Mozilo was already a wealthy man, having sold more review of the documentary, Wikipedia noted: much four whistleblowers were getting: $170 million construction foremen who blow the whistle than $400 million of his stock in Countrywide when it Top executives of the insolvent companies plus. on bridges being built with inferior steel … went public in 1984. He knew what he was doing, and walked away with their personal fortunes these are ordinary folks who decided to do became so bold about the continuing fraud that he got intact. The executives had hand-picked their something extraordinary. lazy. During its investigation, the Justice Department (with the help of Mahany and his clients) uncovered boards of directors, which handed out billions They risk their jobs, friends, and careers to do a damning email that explained it all. On August 1, in bonuses after the government bailout. what is right with no guarantee that they will 2005, he sent an email to his executives that real Between 2001 and 2006, Mozilo’s total compensation Even after the IRS and lawyers get their share, those receive a penny. estate developers were anticipating a condo-market four will enjoy a more comfortable lifestyle for a collapse in South Florida and Las Vegas, making him nearly reached half a billion dollars. When the SEC long time. Three individuals and a small New Jersey In a recent interview, Mahany explained just what a nervous. This is why: caught up with him, they allowed him to settle for a mortgage company, Mortgage Now, will share the “whistleblower attorney” actually does: small fraction of his net worth: $67.5 million. Plus spoils. Mortgage Now will receive $8.5 million for The simple reason is that when the loan Mozilo was banned for life from serving as an officer its part in exposing the fraud of issuing high-risk A whistleblower attorney is a gatekeeper. To resets in five years there will be enormous or director of any publicly traded company. Plus mortgages and calling them safe. Robert Madsen, a qualify for a whistleblower award under the payment shock and the borrower is not Mozilo was allowed to avoid admitting any guilt. Plus former employee with a property appraisal company federal False Claims Act, an actual lawsuit has sufficiently sophisticated to truly understand the SEC allowed Countrywide to pay $20 million of owned by Bank of America, will get $56 million, while to be filed…. the consequences…. his penalty. Shareef Abdou, a former Countrywide manager, will Now that all the numbers have been revealed, it’s receive $48 million. Edward O’Donnell, a former Much work goes into investigating claims, Then the bank will be dealing with foreclosure safe to say that the whistleblowers will be able to Countrywide executive, will collect $58 million. researching the law and drafting the in potentially a deflated real estate improve their lifestyles, and Brian Mahany’s law complaint. market. This would be both a financial and Each of them helped attorney Brian Mahany piece practice is likely to do very well indeed as the word reputational catastrophe. together the gigantic fraud so he could sell it to the Once filed, the suit needs to be “sold” to the gets around and his book gets published. As far is Mozilo is concerned, he has become invisible, Justice Department. There was the “Hustle” program government. The Justice Department and The temptation was too great and the fraud enjoying the biggest payout of all. inside Countrywide where poor-credit risks borrowers federal agencies [already] have a full plate…. continued. The real estate market finally collapsed, were shuffled to be given loans they couldn’t afford. and Bank of America, now the proud owner of There were inflated appraisals to justify making the Our job as whistleblower attorneys is to package these cases, provide key information Continued on next page Continued from previous page loans, generating nice fees to Countrywide. Mortgage to get the government’s investigation started, Countrywide, was forced to pay out billions. Said Now in turn sold off the mortgages to the FHA while make the case understandable, and explain Attorney General Eric Holder at the time: Countrywide sold MBSs to Fannie Mae and Freddie why it is worthwhile [for them] to pursue it. Mac. Bank of America has acknowledged that, Missing from any of the public discussion over the in the years leading up to the financial All of which is going to help make “whistleblower announcement last week was the one scoundrel who crisis that devastated our economy in 2008, attorney” Mahany wealthy in the process, as the got away with sums that make these whistleblower it, Merrill Lynch, and Countrywide sold payouts seem tame by comparison: the chief details will no doubt be added to his book, Saints, billions of dollars of RMBS [residential Sinners & Heroes: Covert Ops in the War Against miscreant in charge of Countrywide, Angelo Mozilo mortgage-backed securities] backed by toxic the C-Suite Mafia, before it gets released in March. (pictured above). The son of a butcher, Mozilo met his mentor, David Loeb, while getting his BS degree loans whose quality and level of risk they Mahany says he wants to give credit to whistleblowers from Fordham. Upon graduation the two started knowingly misrepresented to investors and ast August, Bank of America agreed to who risk everything to expose the fraud and a mortgage business and learned quickly just how the U.S. government. pay out nearly $17 billion to settle sixteen corruption in places like banks, hospitals, and federal profitable it was, especially if corners were cut. Early lawsuits over making and marketing What about the master fraudster himself? Mozilo is contractors. These are the real heroes, according to on he resisted the temptation to issue loans to poor fraudulent mortgages leading up to the the thug whom CNN named as one of the “Ten Most Mahany: credit risks, but they just went to his competitors start of the Great Recession, setting a record in the Wanted Culprits of the 2008 financial collapse in instead. By the early ’90s he chucked his morals and process. But the details, under the False Claims Doctors and billing clerks who stand up the Unites States.” This is the star of the Academy started doing the same. Act, remained sealed until last week. The big news, against shady hospital billing practices, loan Award-winning documentary, Inside Job. In its according to the Wall Street Journal, was just how underwriters who expose bad loan practices, Mozilo was already a wealthy man, having sold more review of the documentary, Wikipedia noted: much four whistleblowers were getting: $170 million construction foremen who blow the whistle than $400 million of his stock in Countrywide when it Top executives of the insolvent companies plus. on bridges being built with inferior steel … went public in 1984. He knew what he was doing, and walked away with their personal fortunes these are ordinary folks who decided to do became so bold about the continuing fraud that he got intact. The executives had hand-picked their something extraordinary. lazy. During its investigation, the Justice Department (with the help of Mahany and his clients) uncovered boards of directors, which handed out billions They risk their jobs, friends, and careers to do a damning email that explained it all. On August 1, in bonuses after the government bailout. what is right with no guarantee that they will 2005, he sent an email to his executives that real Between 2001 and 2006, Mozilo’s total compensation Even after the IRS and lawyers get their share, those receive a penny. estate developers were anticipating a condo-market four will enjoy a more comfortable lifestyle for a collapse in South Florida and Las Vegas, making him nearly reached half a billion dollars. When the SEC long time. Three individuals and a small New Jersey In a recent interview, Mahany explained just what a nervous. This is why: caught up with him, they allowed him to settle for a mortgage company, Mortgage Now, will share the “whistleblower attorney” actually does: small fraction of his net worth: $67.5 million. Plus spoils. Mortgage Now will receive $8.5 million for The simple reason is that when the loan Mozilo was banned for life from serving as an officer its part in exposing the fraud of issuing high-risk A whistleblower attorney is a gatekeeper. To resets in five years there will be enormous or director of any publicly traded company. Plus mortgages and calling them safe. Robert Madsen, a qualify for a whistleblower award under the payment shock and the borrower is not Mozilo was allowed to avoid admitting any guilt. Plus former employee with a property appraisal company federal False Claims Act, an actual lawsuit has sufficiently sophisticated to truly understand the SEC allowed Countrywide to pay $20 million of owned by Bank of America, will get $56 million, while to be filed…. the consequences…. his penalty. Shareef Abdou, a former Countrywide manager, will Now that all the numbers have been revealed, it’s receive $48 million. Edward O’Donnell, a former Much work goes into investigating claims, Then the bank will be dealing with foreclosure safe to say that the whistleblowers will be able to Countrywide executive, will collect $58 million. researching the law and drafting the in potentially a deflated real estate improve their lifestyles, and Brian Mahany’s law complaint. market. This would be both a financial and Each of them helped attorney Brian Mahany piece practice is likely to do very well indeed as the word reputational catastrophe. together the gigantic fraud so he could sell it to the Once filed, the suit needs to be “sold” to the gets around and his book gets published. As far is Mozilo is concerned, he has become invisible, Justice Department. There was the “Hustle” program government. The Justice Department and The temptation was too great and the fraud enjoying the biggest payout of all. inside Countrywide where poor-credit risks borrowers federal agencies [already] have a full plate…. continued. The real estate market finally collapsed, were shuffled to be given loans they couldn’t afford. and Bank of America, now the proud owner of There were inflated appraisals to justify making the Our job as whistleblower attorneys is to package these cases, provide key information