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Prosecution of Subprime-Mortgage Fraud

By Laurence A. Urgenson and Peter A. Farrell
August 27, 2008

With the meltdown of the U.S. housing market, many players in mortgage lending now face the triple threat of criminal, civil, and administrative legal action. Potential targets include financial institutions, borrowers, mortgage brokers, lenders, securities dealers, and auditors. Popular pressure to hold someone accountable will increase now that taxpayers have been asked to pay for various bailouts. But the scope of federal action against questionable lending practices will depend on the answer to a key question: What funding will be made available to law enforcement agencies?

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