Grassley Asks DOJ Again if They've Taken Action Against Wall StreetSen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is pushing the Department of Justice for details on what it has done to pursue criminal charges against the major Wall Street banks and executives who he says are responsible for the nation's financial crisis.In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. issued today, Grassley asked for a list of cases that detail which convictions were obtained against CEOs, CFOs, board members, presidents and other executives of Wall Street firms and banks. The letter comes two days after Grassley criticized the DOJ response to the financial crisis during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. And it comes in direct response to reaction from the DOJ posted on the Blog of Legal Times, according to a Grassley spokeswoman. At a Capitol Hill hearing Wednesday on foreclosure abuse and lending discrimination practices, Grassley said the DOJ has done a "terrible job" of prosecuting financial crimes. He said: "The Justice Department has brought no criminal cases against any of the major Wall Street banks or executives who are responsible for the financial crisis." In response to a Legal Times request, DOJ issued a written statement on the criticism. "The Department of Justice, through our U.S. Attorneys' Offices and litigating divisions, has brought thousands of mortgage fraud cases over the past three years, and secured numerous convictions against CEOs, CFOs, board members, presidents and other executives of Wall Street firms and banks for financial crimes," DOJ spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said. Grassley requested the list by the end of the month. A DOJ spokesman said the agency is reviewing the letter. |