This issue of the AIG bonuses raises concerns about conflicts of interest since the Financial Products Division of AIG was a large contributor to both President Obama and Senator Dodd.
It also gives fuel to the speculation that the retnention bonuses being paid to the AIG executives, some of whom have already left, are 'hush money' over the details of the payments of enormous sums of bailout money to politically connected businesses such as Goldman Sachs, who are also substantial contributors to both parties.
True or not, the failure of the Treasury Department to execute in this matter is alarming, and the lack of transparency by the Obama administration and the Democratic leadership is discouraging, if not appalling.
McCauley's WorldKey Congressman tried to alert Treasury about the AIG bonus issue "six or seven times" in the past weeks.
Senator Christopher Dodd’s office recently announced that, “Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd, chairman of the Senate banking committee, demanded a full briefing from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury on why clauses weren’t attached to the four various AIG bailouts to halt bonuses.”
Yet the Senator well knows that while the Senate was constructing the $787 billion stimulus last month, Dodd added an executive-compensation restriction to that very bill. The provision, now called “the Dodd Amendment” by the Obama Administration, provides an “exception for contractually obligated bonuses agreed on before Feb. 11, 2009” — which exempts the very AIG bonuses Dodd and others are now seeking to tax.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/finance/dodd-cracks-aig—time/
Obama & Dodd Were Friend’s Of AIG Before AIG Was Their Enemy
Obama may be grandstanding about AIG’s bonuses now, but it’s worth noting that Obama himself is the second biggest benefactor of AIG political contributions. Second only to Senator Chris Dodd, who is quietly trying to tip-toe away from legislation he inserted into Obama’s “stimulus” spending spree that protected AIG’s bonuses.
http://www.kxmb.com/News/Nation/346030.asp
Kanjorski: Treasury and Administration Knew of AIG Bonuses for Weeks
Edward Liddy is the government appointed Chairman of AIG during its bailout phase.
Edward M. Liddy is currently the chief executive officer of American International Group (AIG), where he succeeded Robert B. Willumstad in September, 2008. Upon taking the position of CEO at American International Group, Mr. Liddy had to resign his board position at Goldman Sachs.This September meeting was the key decision point on bailing out AIG. As we have reported earlier, the ONLY non-official present was Lloyd Blankfein, the Chairman of Goldman Sachs, a major counterparty at risk with the AIG Financial Products Division.
And lastly, we ought not to overlook The Real AIG Scandal - Slate
