Charlie Kupchan: Mixed Signals on the Direction of Foreign Policy
August 02, 2005
Although Bolton's recess appointment is the talk of the town, let's not overlook another choice appointment. Last Thursday, Bush nominated Roland Arnall to be the U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands. The same day, Ameriquest Capital Corp., of which Arnall is the chairman and sole owner, announced that it had set aside $325 million for potential settlements with 30 states whose regulatory agencies or attorneys general are investigating its lending practices.
Ameriquest, a mortgage company which lends primarily to homeowners with bad credit, has been accused of predatory lending practices. According to the
Washington Post, the company "is facing complaints of wrongdoing from coast to coast, with thousands of customers seeking restitution." Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, CA,
complained that Arnall's "companies have engaged in unfair and deceptive practices too many times to count." "These executives should be headed to the pen, not some diplomat's mansion."
No one will be surprised to know that Arnall and his wife are top Republican donors.
~snip~
link:
The Washington Note