New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman: Bailout risk is still present
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman: Bailout risk is still present
One of the top cops on Wall Street isn’t a federal official. He’s Eric Schneiderman, the attorney general for the State of New York. Right now, he’s got his eyes on the big credit rating agencies and the role they played in the financial crisis.
Schniederman spoke with Marketplace Morning Report host Jeremy Hobson about financial reform and accountability.
On settlements versus going to court:
“This, you know, is the way our legal system is structured. There are really two competing goals here. One is accountability, and that is certainly one of our key goals. We want the people who brought about the worst crash since the Great Depression to be held accountable for their conduct. But the other is getting relief to the people who were injured. We certainly have more of a commitment, and a commitment at a higher level, than we ever have had to trying to do justice in this area, and I think you will see more cases being brought in the months ahead.”
On what’s changed since the period before the 2008 financial crisis:
“I do think there still is a lot of room for improvement. I think unfortunately, the net-net is that the banks are more concentrated than ever, the potential for bailout is still there. The notion that is embodied in the law that has been passed [is] of a systemically important financial institution. The whole idea is that this is so important that they should have a different set of rules than a smaller institution, and that’s something I just don’t buy. Dodd Frank is a work in progress, there will be more legislation… You will never get back the confidence of the small investors, until you get rid of this idea that this is an insider’s game, and I think it’s in everyone’s long term interest to clear this all up.”
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
