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<BODY bgColor=#ffffff><FONT color=#000000 size=3 face=Arial>Sign petition
below</FONT><BR><BR><BR><BR>
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<P><A title=http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/doj-sp
href="http://action.firedoglake.com/page/m/5958d136/4591f81e/62c0b87c/3dc6ba00/3508585337/VEsH/"
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<P
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title=http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/doj-sp
href="http://action.firedoglake.com/page/m/5958d136/4591f81e/62c0b87c/3dc6ba00/3508585337/VEsE/"
target=_blank>Justice Dept. Sues S&P: Urge the <SPAN class=e>DOJ</SPAN> to
Prosecute More Wall Street Criminals</A></P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>Raylene,</P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>In the fall of 2011, over
27,000 Firedoglake activists called on the Justice Department's Securities and
Exchange Commission to revoke Standard & <SPAN class=e>Poors</SPAN> credit
rating authority for their role in the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent
threats to downgrade the US credit rating when faced with a federal
investigation.</P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>Just this week, the
Department of Justice and California Attorney General <SPAN
class=e>Kamala</SPAN> Harris launched two lawsuits against Standard & Poors
for defrauding investors in mortgage-backed securities in exchange for kickbacks
from Wall Street banks, precipitating the meltdown.<SUP>1</SUP></P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>These lawsuits -- which
seek damages upwards of $5 billion and $4 billion respectively -- could be the
first real efforts to bring accountability to a major firm involved in the
global financial crisis.</P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>We put together a letter
commending the DOJ for their attempts to bring financial criminals to justice,
and encouraging them to continue by bringing suits against other culpable Wall
Street firms and executives.</P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><A
title=http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/doj-sp
href="http://action.firedoglake.com/page/m/5958d136/4591f81e/62c0b87c/3dc6ba00/3508585337/VEsF/"
target=_blank>Please sign our letter thanking the US Department of Justice for
bringing suit against S&P and encouraging them to bring suits against other
Wall Street players involved in the 2008 financial crisis.</A></P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>The DOJ wants S&P to
pay $5 billion for making perhaps one of the biggest individual contributions to
the meltdown: defrauding investors in mortgage-backed securities with misleading
credit ratings in order to secure fees from Wall Street banks, nearly
obliterating the economy in the process. If successful, they could be forced to
pay roughly the equivalent of what their parent firm, McGraw-Hill, has made in
the past 7 years.<SUP>2</SUP></P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>In addition, California's
AG Kamala Harris is seeking damages of upwards of $4 billion for violating the
state's False Claims Act, producing misleading credit ratings that eventually
caused public pensions to lose an estimated $1 billion.<SUP>3</SUP></P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>Even if only one suit is
successful, S&P will be forced to pay the largest penalty to-date of any
firm involved in the 2008 crisis. While the DOJ has unfortunately settled with
several major players in the <SPAN class=e>subprime</SPAN> crisis over the past
few years, reports indicate that they may actually be willing to take the suit
to court this time.</P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>This could be a game
changer, and the DOJ needs to know the public is wholly behind their efforts to
bring Wall Street criminals to court. Other ratings agencies like Moody's and
Fitch were complicit in these crimes, as well as various firms across the
industry, and they should be brought to justice as well.</P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><A
title=http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/doj-sp
href="http://action.firedoglake.com/page/m/5958d136/4591f81e/62c0b87c/3dc6ba00/3508585337/VEsC/"
target=_blank>Please sign our letter thanking the US Department of Justice for
bringing suit against S&P and encouraging them to bring suits against other
Wall Street players involved in the 2008 financial crisis.</A></P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>Despite the years it has
taken for this suit to come to fruition, and the various disappointing
settlements that have allowed many of those involved in the crisis to skirt
accountability, we are very pleased to see the DOJ finally take real steps
towards prosecuting some Wall Street criminals.</P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>In
solidarity,</P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>Brian <SPAN
class=e>Sonenstein</SPAN><BR><BR><BR>Campaign
Director,<BR><BR><BR>Firedoglake.com</P><BR><BR>
<P style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><BR>Sources:<BR><BR><BR>1. <A
title=http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/02/06/doj-suing-sp-for-5-billion-fraud-scheme/
href="http://action.firedoglake.com/page/m/5958d136/4591f81e/62c0b87c/3dc6ba01/3508585337/VEsD/"
target=_blank>DOJ Suing S&P For $5 Billion Fraud Scheme.</A> <SPAN
class=e>FDL</SPAN> News Desk, 2/6/13.<BR><BR><BR>2. <A
title=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324445904578285802822704578.html
href="http://action.firedoglake.com/page/m/5958d136/4591f81e/62c0b87c/3dc6ba06/3508585337/VEsA/"
target=_blank>U.S., S&P Settle In for Bitter Combat.</A> Wall Street
Journal, 2/6/13.<BR><BR><BR>3. <A
title=http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-california-files-suit-20130205,0,980843.story
href="http://action.firedoglake.com/page/m/5958d136/4591f81e/62c0b87c/3dc6ba07/3508585337/VEsB/"
target=_blank>California accuses S&P of deception in $4-billion lawsuit.</A>
LA Times, 2/5/13.</P></DIV><BR><BR>
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