Campaign Contributions from Companies CURRENTLY Under Investigation by Pam Bondi
Sure, let’s make a big deal about the firings of the AG’s investigators June Clarkson and Theresa Edwards. We should and we must.
But the fact that Bondi took campaign contributions from Lender Processing Services WHILE there’s an active investigation into Lender Processing Services is even more concerning. (Not to mention the hiring of Joe Jacquot, a former lawyer from Bondi’s office by LPS the same week that June and Theresa were fired. His new position, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for Lender Processing Services, Inc.)
The firings can be dismissed as inter-office politics; the campaign contributions are best described as bribes.
Firings + Bribes = CORRUPTION?
How can you take campaign contributions from a company that the AG Office investigating?
Who can the AG negotiate in good faith with the other states’ AGs against the banks when she has a dog in the fight??
Florida’s Attorney General Pam Bondi took campaign contributions from TWO companies CURRENTLY under investigation by her office for foreclosure fraud-related activities, Lender Processing Services and Provest. Lender Processing Services donated directly to Bondi’s campaign through LPS, its subsidiaries/affiliates, its in-house counsel, and at least one attorney employed by its in-house counsel. Members of Provest’s senior management, including its founder and CEO, as well as an executive vice president’s WIFE, contributed to Bondi’s campaign.
There are SEVENTY NINE PAGES of Bondi campaign contributors: there may be many more contributors with a direct relationship with companies currently under investigation by the Florida Attorney General.
- Bill McCollum began investigations into LPS and Provest while Attorney General.
- Did Bondi fail to research the AG’s office and familiarize herself with investigations started under her predecessor/opponent in the primary prior to campaigning for his job?
- How can Bondi properly investigate companies already under investigation if she took “contributions” from them?
- How can Bondi act in good faith and represent the citizens of Florida in negotiations with the other states’ attorneys general against the banks when she took campaign contributions from companies/their managements whose businesses are dependent on the very banks under investigation?
1. Lender Processing Services.
FL AG Pam Bondi has an open investigation of now-notorious affidavit mill Lender Processing Services
http://www.myfloridalegal.com/lit_ec.nsf/mortgage/9B099A9DD32030BE8525771300426A68
Lender Processing Services’ “work product” – fraudulent affidavits – have been called a “sham” and a “farce” by the US Bankruptcy Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana
http://www.scribd.com/doc/52867919/In-Re-Wilson-Memorandum-Opinion-07-Apr-2011 (start at bottom of page 18)
Pam Bondi took thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Lender Processing Services, its affiliates/subsidiaries (Fidelity Financial, etc.), its in-house counsel (Holland & Knight) and members of its in-house counsel staff. At least one member of Lender Processing Services’ board is a former member of H&K – I just looked around and can’t find which one, but I saw it recently….
Nathan A. Adams, member of Holland & Knight’s Tampa office, gave money to both Pam Bondi and Bill McCollum.
http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/contributor_details.phtml?d=255977295
2. Provest.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has an active, open investigation into ProVest:
Provest senior management:
http://web.provest.us/ProVest_Leaders.aspx
At least three members of senior management of Provest gave money to Pam Bondi:
Scott Stady, founder and CEO:
http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/contributor.phtml?d=263329440
Victor Draper, executive vice president:
http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/contributor.phtml?d=263329442
and Deanna Draper, Victor Draper’s wife
Deanna R. Draper:
http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/contributor.phtml?d=263329441
http://www.publicrecords.com/people-search-records/deanna-r-draper-in-florida
James P. McDermott, a member of management, is listed as “Jim” on Provest website but it’s the same guy:
http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/contributor.phtml?d=263329481
Misc.
Worth asking for a quote re: Provest’s senior management’s contributions.
Provest belongs to the Florida Association of Professional Process Servers
http://www.fapps.org/board.asp
Bob Musser
5415 Lake Howell Road #327
Winter Park, FL 32792
Telephone: (407) 679-1539
E-Mail: bob@dbsinfo.com
Code of Ethics:
http://www.fapps.org/codeofethics.doc
HOW CAN SHE KEEP MONEY FROM COMPANIES SHE IS INVESTIGATING???
Pam Bondi forced out the top two foreclosure fraud investigators in her office several weeks ago
How can she properly investigate LPS and Provest and act on our behalf in good faith with the other AGs?? Florida is the epicenter of foreclosure fraud; she should be in the VANGUARD of the investigation. Instead, she takes “campaign contributions.”
Background on LPS:
Florida attorneys have known about LPS & their fraud since at least 2008!
This is a compilation of foreclosure mills using LPS’s services, state-by-state, from the three 2006-2007 issues of The Summit:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/58891860/LPSstatebystate
Read about robosigning and kickbacks (excuse me, “incentive awards”) to attorneys using LPS’s services, golfing junkets, etc. directly from LPS’s newsletter, The Summit.
The Summit, Sept. 2006
(read Dory Goebel’s article on page 16 about robosigning)
The Summit, Oct. 2007
The Summit, Dec. 2007
http://www.scribd.com/doc/49949144/Lender-Processing-Services-f-k-a-FIS-newsletter-The-Summit-Dec-07
Court cases involving LPS and Dory Goebel:
2007: In Re: Fagan, US Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York State:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/40515880/In-Re-Fagan-Decision-Granting-Sanction-24-Sep-2007
Ms. Goebel’s “sworn testimony was false.” (page 3)
2008-2011:
In Re: Wilson, US Bankruptcy Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana, where LPS’s “work product” was called a “sham” and a “farce” and Dory Goebel
In Re: Wilson, February Post Trial Brief:
In Re: Wilson, April Memorandum:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/52867919/In-Re-Wilson-Memorandum-Opinion-07-Apr-2011 (start around page 18)
For people who think affidavits are just details, the Court would beg to differ:
Default affidavits are a lender’s representation as to the status of a loan. They are routinely accepted in both state and federal courts in lieu of live testimony. They are an accommodation to the lending community based on a belief by the courts that the facts they present are virtually unassailable. The submission of evidence by affidavit allows lenders to save countless hours and expense establishing a borrower’s default without the need for testimony from a lending representative. While they can be refuted by a borrower, too often, a debtor’s offer of alternative and conflicting facts is dismissed by those who believe that a lender’s word is more credible than that of a debtor. The deference afforded the lending community has resulted in an abuse of trust. (author’s bolding, from April Memorandum, page 21)
The Florida Bar seems to take the role of affidavits very seriously:
Florida Bar opinion about attorneys “affirmative obligation” pre- and POST-judgment to notify court:
Anonymous posting by a foreclosure mill attorney:
And last but not least, let’s not forget about DOCX and Linda Green…
Heck, I think they even did a 60 Minutes Report on the matter…
I believe it was called Mortgage paperwork mess: the next housing shock?
Watch the 60 Minutes Report on Foreclosure Fraud Here w/ Bonus Material
(CBS News) If there was a question about whether we’re headed for a second housing shock, that was settled last week with news that home prices have fallen a sixth consecutive month. Values are nearly back to levels of the Great Recession. One … Watch by clicking here…
I bet Bondi is regretting the firing of her two top investigators right about now…
~
Sign the petition calling for an investigation of Attorney General Bondi’s actions:
http://www.progressflorida.org/bondi
Poor guy in the middle district of Florida of “Scott v Yellon” getting it handed to him. He may have got a little close connection to this whole political coverup going on in the process serving industry. May even have the docs to support it. Keeping an eye out for it see if any surprises develop
Let’s all call Rick Scott:
850-488-7146.
If you call, you may also add to have Mr McCallum act in her place. Since he probably has the most knowledge of what was being done in the FL AGO, it would be the easiest transition. He also hired the 2 fired investigators, so you may get more bang for your buck.
You may want to contact the media agencies in the state to get the word out. The more phone calls to the Governor, the more pressure he will feel.
Here are the laws of Florida as they relate to the Attorney General….
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0016/0016ContentsIndex.html&StatuteYear=2010&Title=-%3E2010-%3EChapter%2016
The 2010 Florida Statutes(including Special Session A)
Title IV
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Chapter 16
ATTORNEY GENERAL
View Entire Chapter
16.02 Appointment of person to act in case of disability of Attorney General.—In case of the disability of the Attorney General to perform any official duty devolving on him or her, by reason of interest or otherwise, the Governor or Attorney General of this state may appoint another person to perform such duty in the Attorney General’s stead.
History.—s. 3, ch. 2, 1845; RS 85a; GS 88; RGS 102; CGL 126; s. 46, ch. 95-147
This explains her lack of action to the known fraud submitted to her office .Most 50 State AG’s sold us out
Conflict of Interest . She failed to disclose her relation with entities under investigation .
Recall not qualified to do the peoples work . Recuse herself from office , and return all compensation ., no work
for people , no pay from people .. Getting paid from suspects ., Enough Already
Can you imagine what the other states’ attorneys generals must think – knowing that she’s supposed to be on their “team” – shoot, she’s not on their team, she’s on the take!! It’s hugely embarrassing – what is it about the air in Florida that makes so many attorneys so ethically challenged? Do you think Martha Coakley took campaign “contributions” from companies her office is investigating? Do you think Eric Schneiderman took campaign contributions from companies his office is investigating? How about Tom Miller? Sam Olens?
Or any of the other attorneys general? I mean, how smart do you have to be to know that you shouldn’t take campaign contributions from companies your office is investigating!!
It’s like having a spy on your team, or there’s another player who is trying to throw the game by shaving points.
What I’d also like to know is: did she accept these “donations” or did she solicit them? But, really, is there any difference? It’s WRONG.
This isn’t a Republican or a Democratic thing – it’s an AMERICAN thing.
But more than that, it’s a Florida thing. Floridians need to stand up against corruption. This is our state – it’s time to take it back. We’ve got to call Rick Scott right away and demand he tell her to resign or be fired. A Friday afternoon resign-or-be-fired would be perfect.
Rick’s # is 850-488-7146. Let’s give him an earful.
Actually, Tom Miller has been doing the same thing.
Then off with his head, too. This has got to stop.
Now another e-mail I must send her.
Dear Pam Bondi,
Please return the money you got from LPS,
Some people may take it as improper to take contributions from a felony suspect in a so called “wink, wink” investigation.
Try to get that brown off your nose, asap.
I think I am more of a Liberation vs. Republican so I won’t take offense 🙂 I didn’t vote for this cartoon of an AG nor the Governor. However, this is beyond comprehension and it never ceases to amaze me how positively shameless some people can be…unreal.
She should be subject to a personal audit – she’s conducted herself in a manner such that there may be reasonable belief to suspect that she is receiving money or favors directly or indirectly. She is a public servant…who failed to serve.
Soldier on 🙂
Did you check out Allan Grayson?
Pam needs to resign before she will need a lot of make-up to hide her shame. She is not real AG material. She is a joke. But then, she is a Republican and they like to make jokes of themselves: Gov. Scott example. She is not going to do anything. She can’t. She already took the money. And political prostitutes never give the money back once they turn the trick. And when she fired the girls she earned her trick money. Now all that remains is for the vice squad to catch her. And believe me, the next AG who is a Democrat will check all her laundry. It better be clean. Or she is coming back to town in cuffs with the CNN cameras blazing. She should just stop all her mess and get that office in respectable order and let the public know that on her watch there will be no foreclosure fraud in Florida. If she does not issue that press release, then she is a one term candidate with NO POLITICAL FUTURE IN FLORIDA.
that is astonishingly corrupt. honestly, if you won’t bother to put your feet out on the street to root out the crooks, don’t bother voting…
Sounds like a recall petition is in order. Can we boot out Rick Scott whilst we are at it?
Excellent point. Does anyone know if a recall petition has been started?