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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=marysedrop@att.net href="mailto:marysedrop@att.net">Mary Shesgreen</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=dlj725@hughes.net
href="mailto:dlj725@hughes.net">dlj725@hughes.net</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Monday, December 26, 2011 12:00 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Call Lisa Madigan's office this week about mortgage fraud
and the foreclosure crisis</DIV></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=3> </FONT><FONT size=4><STRONG>Dear NIJwJ members and
friends,</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3></FONT> </P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal>Please Call Lisa Madigan's
office 312-814-3000 about mortgage fraud and the foreclosure crisis,
again, even if you have called before. We fear that proposed settlement,
giving the banks immunity from prosecution may happen before Dec 31st, and that
Lisa Madigan may go along with it. Below is a sample script and background
information.</P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Sample Script:<SPAN> </SPAN>My
name is _________________.<SPAN> </SPAN>I live in ____________, Illinois
.<SPAN> </SPAN>I am calling to ask Lisa Madigan to aggressively
investigate the big banks for possible fraud and other criminal behavior in
their mortgage practices. I oppose any settlement which gives the banks
immunity from prosecution for robo-signing or any other fraudulent
mortgage practices and I ask Lisa Madigan to publicly reject any such
settlement.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a">A handful of brave attorneys general
have vowed to stand up to the banks and hold them accountable. But federal
regulators, the Obama administration and a large number of state attorneys
general led by </SPAN><SPAN class=yshortcuts1><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT color=#366388>Iowa</FONT></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a"> Attorney General Tom Miller are
trying to settle with some of the biggest banks. </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a">In exchange for what amounts to a
slap on the wrist, the banks will get broad immunity from future
prosecution.<SUP>1</SUP> </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>I am asking today for Lisa Madigan to
publically reject that plan.<SPAN> </SPAN>Such a plan would
indicate that the banks are too big to prosecute just as they were once too big
to fail.<SPAN> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>So,<SPAN> </SPAN>Please tell
me<SPAN> </SPAN>Yes or No: will Lisa Madigan publically reject the
proposed sweetheart deal for the banks?</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>The following back ground information
comes from the Credo action alert on this same topic.<SPAN> </SPAN>You can
use it if appropriate in your conversation with Lisa Madigan's
office..</FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The notorious
robo-signing scandal is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to wrongdoing
by the mortgage industry. </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Through
congressional hearings, court cases and investigative reporting, we know of
numerous stories of big financial firms engaging in shady mortgage practices,
many of which seem on their face to violate various laws and regulations.
</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">But there has been a
big push to reach a settlement before these issues have been investigated in any
meaningful way. </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The terms of the
settlement are supposedly neither public nor final, but what has leaked to the
press shows an utter unwillingness to contemplate real penalties for criminal
activity. </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">What's more, a
settlement could short-circuit future attempts to get to the bottom of this
sordid mess, punish people for their wrongdoings, and force banks to change
their practices to help borrowers and homeowners. </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">As Illinois 's top
law enforcement official, Attorney General Madigan should aggressively push for
thorough investigations, meaningful penalties and real accountability. But that
can't happen if Attorney General Madigan agrees to a broad settlement that lets
Wall Street crooks off the hook and gives them broad immunity from future
prosecution. </SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Sadly, the federal
government thus far has largely given Wall Street a free pass on its criminal
behavior. But there's a widespread understanding that there's something deeply
wrong with that, not just on a moral level but also in terms of what it means to
our democracy. </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><STRONG><FONT
size=4>It's clear that what motivates and animates the Occupy Wall Street
protests currently happening is a deep sense that our financial elites wield too
much power over our lives yet escape accountability even when they cause a great
deal of suffering. </FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Fortunately, there
are mechanisms for accountability besides what exists at the federal level. The
big banks appear to have violated state laws, so state attorneys general are in
a prime position to stand up to Wall Street. </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">In fact, a small but
growing number of state attorneys general have vowed to aggressively investigate
them. Eric Schneiderman of </SPAN></B><SPAN class=yshortcuts2><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT color=#366388>New
York</FONT></SPAN></B></SPAN><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> and Beau Biden of
</SPAN></B><SPAN class=yshortcuts2><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT
color=#366388>Delaware</FONT></SPAN></B></SPAN><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> have led the way on
this, but have been joined by the attorneys general from </SPAN></B><SPAN
class=yshortcuts2><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT
color=#366388>Nevada, Minnesota</FONT></SPAN></B></SPAN><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">, </SPAN></B><SPAN
class=yshortcuts2><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT
color=#366388>Kentucky</FONT></SPAN></B></SPAN><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> and, as of last
week, </SPAN></B><SPAN class=yshortcuts2><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT
color=#366388>California</FONT></SPAN></B></SPAN><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">.</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The recent addition
of California to this list may have finally stopped the federal government from
being able to push through a truly national settlement. But the Obama
administration can exert considerable pressure on individual attorneys general
to cut a deal. </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">We need to prevent
attorneys general from striking a deal before meaningful investigations are
complete. The more we find out, the worse Wall Street looks and the harder it
will be for their crimes to be swept underneath the carpet. </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">From our success in
other states, we know that attorneys general are largely unused to sizable
amounts of direct public lobbying. If we can make this a big enough issue, we
can get more of them on our side. And the first step in that is public
commitments to fully and aggressively investigate Wall Street crooks.
</SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #37424a; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt">1. "<A
href="http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=231173&id=28435-2255821-CJbvf7x&t=12"
rel=nofollow target=_blank>Surprise! Securitization Liability Release Part of
Foreclosure Fraud Settlement</A>," David Dayen, FDL News, 09-06-2011.
</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3></FONT> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3>Some additional
factual background supplied by Toni Boughner</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3> </P>
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<DIV><SPAN>I don't recall if these are mentioned in the bullet point section,
but they would seem to be good addtions if not:</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN>Nevada's AG sued BofA over the 2009 Countrywide settlement because
they weren't following the requirements set out in the settlement. Illinois was
party to that and it would be good to know where AG Madigan stands on it. I
haven't seen anything about it, but maybe somebody else has - or it's a good
question to ask.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN>This came out today, and while the majority of the story is regarding
AG Coakley's stance on Occupy Boston, toward the end this is a nice little
gem that can be turned around to pressure AG Madigan as to why she is not
announcing her intention to do the same for the people of Illinois:</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN><VAR id=yui-ie-cursor></VAR>"The country has been "turned upside-down
by this mortgage crisis," Coakley said, and her office is planning to take aim
at bad mortgages by pursuing litigation against unlawful mortgage agreements and
foreclosures.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV>“I am convinced if we do not stop this wave of foreclosures and get back to
a healthy real estate market, we are not going to turn this economy
around.”</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Coakley's office is looking into several avenues of litigation,
specifically naming the Mortgage Electronic Registration System as a possible
target.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"We think they cut corners," Coakley said.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>She called on federal government to take action against mortgages that are
unfair to homeowners.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>“I feel pretty strongly that something has to happen at the federal level,"
Coakley said. "We’ve been doing what we can at the state level, the federal
government has to take some action particularly getting at some of this mortgage
unfairness.”"</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN>http://backbay.patch.com/articles/coakley-on-occupy-boston-properly-channeled-frustration-ac55a9bf</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
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