[exhibeKed]

Rep. Barney Frank says there was no conflict of interest in him helping his former lover secure a job with Fannie Mae 20 years ago while he was on the committee charged with overseeing the lending giant.

"It is a common thing in Washington for members of Congress to have spouses work for the federal government," Frank told the Boston Herald Wednesday night. "There is no rule against it at all."

Frank explained to the newspaper that he helped his ex-companion, Herb Moses, get a job at Fannie Mae in 1991 when one of its executives approached him about Moses, who had graduated with a master's degree in business administration from Dartmouth College and had applied for a job at the mortgage company.

Frank, who was a junior member of the House Financial Services Committee at the time, said he told the executive that he thought Moses would be "great" for the "entry-level position."

When asked if he should have revealed his efforts to help Moses, Frank told the newspaper, "It was widely known. It was out there in the public. It's nonsense."

But Republicans have a different view.

"Just when you think you've heard the worst, Democrats in Massachusetts take shameless politics to a new low," said Tory Mazzola, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. "The fact that Barney Frank didn't see this as a conflict of interest is alarming by itself, but it's so deceitful that it really shows voters that he's not looking out for them in Washington."

Rep. Barney Frank Admits to Helping Ex-Lover Land Job at Fannie Mae - FoxNews.com

Ummm--and we wonder what is WRONG with this government? Fannie Mae is the root cause of our current economic collapse--with our Federal Government co-signing our names to 50% of the mortgages in this country. And while in September 1999--lowering lending requirements. No collateral--no down payment--and less than a desirable credit rating could still buy you a 200-300K home. Why? Because they had 310 million American co-signers--

[ebonytipchik]

Is seems that the US Office of Government Ethics (which has to be the smallest agency in the Federal Government) holds a much different view:

1 Conflicting Financial Interests

Your Spouse’s Employment

A Federal criminal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 208, prohibits you from working on a
Government matter that has an effect on your financial interests or on the
financial interests of certain persons, including your spouse or organizations
with whom you have ties. What if your spouse is an employee of a Government
contractor? May you participate in a Government matter involving this
contractor? The answer depends upon the extent of your involvement in the
Government matter and the extent to which your spouse’s financial interest would
be affected by your actions on behalf of the government. Let’s look at some
examples.

http://www.usoge.gov/training/traini...tractor_07.txt Of course, our rulers in DC conveniently exempt themselves from many Federal laws for just such an occasion.

But it certainly is, IMHO, an ethical violation for someone who oversees a Federal agency or contractor to be involved in that agency or contractor's decision to hire a spouse or domestic partner.

Matt

[houkbsdov]

All animals are equal.

But some are more equal than others.

[envenonearo]

Seriously?
The feigned outrage is stinking up the joint.
The people who saw nothing wrong with Phil and Wendy Gramm, are outraged, Outraged I Say, to find Barney Frank giving a favorable reply when used as a reference.

[baskentt]

What a complete non-issue!

1. Did Frank go to Fannie Mae and aske them to employ his partner? No... Fannie Mae came to him and asked for a reference (those of you who have actually had jobs know what that is right?)

2. There is no evidence of the partner being hired for a job he was not fully qualified for.

3. There is no evidence of the partner having performed the job poorly.

4. There is no evidence of the partner having benefitted from Frank's position in congress OR any evidence of Frank having benefitted from his partner's position at Freddie Mac.

[ebonytipchik]

Seriously?
The feigned outrage is stinking up the joint.
The people who saw nothing wrong with Phil and Wendy Gramm, are outraged, Outraged I Say, to find Barney Frank giving a favorable reply when used as a reference.

No outrage here. Just noting that this has the appearance of impropriety.

Any outrage you perceive from my post is purely in your imagination.

Matt

[Plaumpholavup]

What a complete non-issue!

1. Did Frank go to Fannie Mae and aske them to employ his partner? No... Fannie Mae came to him and asked for a reference (those of you who have actually had jobs know what that is right?)

2. There is no evidence of the partner being hired for a job he was not fully qualified for.

3. There is no evidence of the partner having performed the job poorly.

4. There is no evidence of the partner having benefitted from Frank's position in congress OR any evidence of Frank having benefitted from his partner's position at Freddie Mac.

Your right about no evidence, there is no evidence of Frank doing anything right.

[VastDrura]

Was this after there was a prostitution ring being run out of his Washington residence?

[C7JjVczP]

Isn't this common practice in the private sector?

And to Baney's point, is he correct regarding members of Congress having spouses also getting jobs in the Federal Government?

Too bad FoxNews can't do any of it's own journalism, they're merely reporting a story in a newspaper. So from that reporting, this is how the story goes:

Frank explained to the newspaper that he helped his ex-companion, Herb Moses, get a job at Fannie Mae in 1991 when one of its executives approached him about Moses, who had graduated with a master's degree in business administration from Dartmouth College and had applied for a job at the mortgage company.

Frank, who was a junior member of the House Financial Services Committee at the time, said he told the executive that he thought Moses would be "great" for the "entry-level position."


Read more: Rep. Barney Frank Admits to Helping Ex-Lover Land Job at Fannie Mae - FoxNews.com This sounds pretty above board to me. Should Franks have recused himself from offering any opinion, merely because he was boning the guy?

It's not like Franks went to Fanny Mae and just dropped his friend off at the door and they gave him a job on the spot (is it?). This guy even has a Masters Degree in Business Administration. Not an unrelated degree.

Is it that he's a homosexual?

Or just because he's a Democrat?

I'm sure there are people who would make hay out of this regardless of Party affiliation, or the people who just get their panties in a bunch when it's the 'other' Party.

Typically, competent people, know other competent people. Why should we not benefit from the personal and professional relationships of competent people? (Regardless of how you feel about Franks' competency.) Especially when they have the qualifications.

Someone with a Masters in Business Administration seems pretty damn qualified for an "entry level" position.

Should no members of Congress be consulted for employment of persons known to them? And if they should, is there a law on the books which says they can't?

[VastDrura]

Or just because he's a Democrat?

It's becasue he get's a free pass time and again from a Democratic voter base becasue he is a homosexual.

[exhibeKed]

Isn't this common practice in the private sector?

And to Baney's point, is he correct regarding members of Congress having spouses also getting jobs in the Federal Government?

Too bad FoxNews can't do any of it's own journalism, they're merely reporting a story in a newspaper. So from that reporting, this is how the story goes:



This sounds pretty above board to me. Should Franks have recused himself from offering any opinion, merely because he was boning the guy?

It's not like Franks went to Fanny Mae and just dropped his friend off at the door and they gave him a job on the spot (is it?). This guy even has a Masters Degree in Business Administration. Not an unrelated degree.

Is it that he's a homosexual?

Or just because he's a Democrat?

I'm sure there are people who would make hay out of this regardless of Party affiliation, or the people who just get their panties in a bunch when it's the 'other' Party.

Typically, competent people, know other competent people. Why should we not benefit from the personal and professional relationships of competent people? (Regardless of how you feel about Franks' competency.) Especially when they have the qualifications.

Someone with a Masters in Business Administration seems pretty damn qualified for an "entry level" position.

Should no members of Congress be consulted for employment of persons known to them? And if they should, is there a law on the books which says they can't?

And can anyone in the private sector (co-sign your name to a mortgage) without your signature or authorization?--- Barney Frank can.

[Rx-Ultram]

There's a whole issue here on whether or not it's legal for a congressman's spouse to work for a given organization and whether or not it's reasonable to question the legality of that, but that aside, all it appears he did is give a favorable reference.

[boizzones]

This only tells us what we already knew: Barney Frank's a piece of shit.

The OP attempts to form some link between Barney Frank's recommendation and the collapse of Fannie Mae. Herb Moses left Fannie Mae in 1998, so it's not like he had a lot to do with any collapse.

I don't see this as any big issue...

[somawaima]

I read the entire article and I honestly can't see anything wrong with what Frank did in this specific incident given the facts presented in the article. It appears he just gave a reference.

Now Barney Frank is pretty much a worthless POS but I can't fault him on this one.

There's a whole issue here on whether or not it's legal for a congressman's spouse to work for a given organization

Herb Moses was never Frank's spouse so I'm not sure what that has to do with anything.

[envenonearo]

No outrage here. Just noting that this has the appearance of impropriety.

Any outrage you perceive from my post is purely in your imagination.

Matt

No outrage?
You just think it's an ethical violation, to reply to an inquiry when used as a reference.
It's been 20 years, "the appearance of impropriety" means nothing, you have 20 years of history to discern whether there has been any impropriety.

This was happening when Phil Gramm was crafting laws to exempt Enron, who employed his wife as consultant for $600,000, from certain provisions of the law. Oh, he's Republican, your partisan blinders cause you to focus on Democrats that could have been up to something 20 years ago, although nothing has come to light in the last 20 years, it just may be too soon to tell...

[incimisiche]

It's not an ethics violation, at least I don't think so, but it does show how politics as usual works. If Frank had gotten his lover a job at say, General Dynamics, I don't think it would carry the same stigma given Frank's lack of influence with them. But Fannie Mae, Frank is one of the major champions and regulator in charge of Fannie Mae. Why would his lover get a job with the company that Frank is most likely to have influence with?

[VastDrura]

It's been 20 years, "the appearance of impropriety" means nothing, you have 20 years of history to discern whether there has been any impropriety.

Very sensible and measured and it really makes a lot of sense. It is political mud throwing against a popular target.

This was happening when Phil Gramm was crafting laws to exempt Enron, who employed his wife as consultant for $600,000, from certain provisions of the law. Whats' with the smokescreen that doesn't apply to the matter on hand?

[compiit]

Rep. Barney Frank says there was no conflict of interest in him helping his former lover secure a job with Fannie Mae 20 years ago while he was on the committee charged with overseeing the lending giant.

"It is a common thing in Washington for members of Congress to have spouses work for the federal government," Frank told the Boston Herald Wednesday night. "There is no rule against it at all."

Frank explained to the newspaper that he helped his ex-companion, Herb Moses, get a job at Fannie Mae in 1991 when one of its executives approached him about Moses, who had graduated with a master's degree in business administration from Dartmouth College and had applied for a job at the mortgage company.

Frank, who was a junior member of the House Financial Services Committee at the time, said he told the executive that he thought Moses would be "great" for the "entry-level position."

When asked if he should have revealed his efforts to help Moses, Frank told the newspaper, "It was widely known. It was out there in the public. It's nonsense."

But Republicans have a different view.

"Just when you think you've heard the worst, Democrats in Massachusetts take shameless politics to a new low," said Tory Mazzola, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. "The fact that Barney Frank didn't see this as a conflict of interest is alarming by itself, but it's so deceitful that it really shows voters that he's not looking out for them in Washington."

Rep. Barney Frank Admits to Helping Ex-Lover Land Job at Fannie Mae - FoxNews.com

Ummm--and we wonder what is WRONG with this government? Fannie Mae is the root cause of our current economic collapse--with our Federal Government co-signing our names to 50% of the mortgages in this country. And while in September 1999--lowering lending requirements. No collateral--no down payment--and less than a desirable credit rating could still buy you a 200-300K home. Why? Because they had 310 million American co-signers--

Fannie Mae was NOT the root cause. Banking deregs made this crash possible. So, the true fault lies with loosening up bank regulations, in order to increase profitability of those institutions, by allowing them to create these exotic tools of generating profits.

While some try to lay ALL of the blame on stupid folks buying houses they could not afford, many with adjustable interests rates, there was a time before the deregs that banks scrutinized your employment, your income and your credit history before handing out that sort of money, that generally required a substantial downpayment to get into that market.

Now in regards to Franks, he is the last person who should hold that position IMO. I don't like him. And many of the things that allowed for the last crash have not been fixed. Thanks to both parties.

[baskentt]

Herb Moses was never Frank's spouse so I'm not sure what that has to do with anything.

Exactly. According to law he was nothing more than Frank's friend... or possibly even his roommate. Odd how some people want to hold gay couples to the same standards as married heterosexual couple... but in the next breath state that gay couples should not have the same rights and protections. Gotta love the double standards and lack of logic there.

[JennaJJxoxoxo]

It sounds as if the candidate gave BF as a reference on his ap. Not quite at the Ensign level I'm afraid.