WASHINGTON ? - A nonpartisan government watchdog group Wednesday listed U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd as the Senate's No. 1 recipient of campaign contributions from Countrywide Financial Corp. in the last two decades.
The Center for Responsive Politics examined the mortgage lender's relationship with members of Congress after revelations that Countrywide Financial Corp.'s CEO ran a program to give beneficial rates and discounts on mortgages to prominent people such as Dodd.
But it's not the campaign contributions that have drawn political fire to Dodd in the last week. He was said in media reports to have benefited from CEO Angelo Mozilo's VIP program when he and his wife refinanced two mortgages in 2003. He admitted Tuesday that he was put in a VIP program, but he said he wasn't aware it was because of his prominent position. Dodd is the chairman of the Senate banking committee that regulates the mortgage industry. For several months, much of Dodd's Senate life has been taken up by a legislative fix to the nation's housing crisis ? a crisis he has said was encouraged by the irresponsible lending practices of companies such as Countrywide.
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This is the guy who is going to clean up the sub-prime mortgage lending scandal? Whatever happened to ethics training? Not only are you supposed to remove yourself from improprities but also prevent the appearance of such. Mr. Dodd is nothing more than just another politician with his hand out for money. Is this how they are going to clean up Washington? I'm sure looking forward to the change promised by Barack Obama...