Government has changed over time. Regencies. Power. Philosophy. All of these elemenrs can be discussed reasonably as basics in varied countries and cultures. Modern governments are different. Now pallets of money are involved. From The Reich to Liberia, from Putin to the Clintons it is reasonable to start thinking about governments as a criminal enterprise first.
The federal government has taken $110 billion in fines from banks.
Two Wall Street Journal reporters, Christina Rexrode and Emily Glazer, document what they could account for and what they couldn't.
Some highlights:
--The Treasury Department received almost $49 billion of the funds, including money the agency received directly and sums funneled to it by other departments, including government-chartered housing associations Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. How the money is spent isn't specified.
--About $45 billion was earmarked for "consumer relief," a category that includes money dedicated to helping borrowers and funding housing-related community groups. "Housing-related community groups."
--The Justice Department, whose prosecutors led many of the negotiations with banks, collected at least $447 million. How it spends the money isn't specified.
--States received more than $5.3 billion, usually to spend as they saw fit. Almost all states received payments from a national settlement in 2012 over mortgage-servicing abuses, and seven also received payments in the Justice Department's blockbuster mortgage-securities settlements that started in 2013.
--Roughly $10 billion went to other recipients, including housing-related federal agencies, two federal agencies responsible for cleaning up failed banks or credit unions, and whistleblowers who helped the Justice Department. Some funds from these deals typically revert to the Treasury.
The federal government has taken $110 billion in fines from banks.
Two Wall Street Journal reporters, Christina Rexrode and Emily Glazer, document what they could account for and what they couldn't.
Some highlights:
--The Treasury Department received almost $49 billion of the funds, including money the agency received directly and sums funneled to it by other departments, including government-chartered housing associations Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. How the money is spent isn't specified.
--About $45 billion was earmarked for "consumer relief," a category that includes money dedicated to helping borrowers and funding housing-related community groups. "Housing-related community groups."
--The Justice Department, whose prosecutors led many of the negotiations with banks, collected at least $447 million. How it spends the money isn't specified.
--States received more than $5.3 billion, usually to spend as they saw fit. Almost all states received payments from a national settlement in 2012 over mortgage-servicing abuses, and seven also received payments in the Justice Department's blockbuster mortgage-securities settlements that started in 2013.
--Roughly $10 billion went to other recipients, including housing-related federal agencies, two federal agencies responsible for cleaning up failed banks or credit unions, and whistleblowers who helped the Justice Department. Some funds from these deals typically revert to the Treasury.
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