Editor, Times-Union: Earlier this week, jury selection began in the case of former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens. The Congress is prosecuting him for lying to them about whether or not he took steroids or other performance enhancers during his active playing years. Why Congress got involved in MLB business in the first place is ridiculous. But, lying to Congress, by statute, apparently is worse than committing perjury in other judicial venues so off to D.C. he goes to defend himself.
Meanwhile, on May 11, 2011, Matt Taibbi wrote an article that appeared in “Rolling Stone” magazine laying out why Goldman-Sachs, a brokerage/investment bank, is guilty of criminal charges that are worthy to be prosecuted by the Department of Justice. In detail, he lays out how Goldman-Sachs purposely committed fraud against their own clients then accepted TARP money to cover their losses and help bailout AIG. A senate committee headed up by (D) Carl Levin of Michigan and (R) Tom Coburn of Oklahoma called the officers of Goldman-Sachs to Washington. They were confronted with documented evidence of how they dumped billions of dollars of toxic assets onto clients by boldface lying, meaning they represented those assets as rated AAA. Goldman-Sachs execs then proceeded to lie or claim no prior knowledge of the events as they happened. The Levin/Coburn committee the turned this all over to the DOJ and it still sits there today.
I do hope Congress can set priorities straight and bring this firm to trial. It may not replace the billions of dollars this type of fraud cost the taxpayers but it may bring some satisfaction that justice has been served.
