(Barney Frank) admits to helping lover land job at mortgage giant in ’91

Source: Boston Herald

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank admitted he helped his ex-lover land a lucrative post with Fannie Mae in the early 1990s while the Newton Democrat was on a committee that regulated the lending giant — but he called questions of a potential ethical conflict “nonsense.”

“If it is (a conflict of interest), then much of Washington is involved (in conflicts),” Frank told the Herald last night. “It is a common thing in Washington for members of Congress to have spouses work for the federal government. There is no rule against it at all.”

Frank said he helped his former longtime companion, Herb Moses, land a job at Fannie Mae in 1991 after Moses graduated with a master’s degree in business administration from Dartmouth College. Frank said he was approached by a Fannie Mae executive and vouched for Moses, who formerly worked as an economist in the Department of Agriculture.

“(The executive) said, ‘Herb applied for a job,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I think he’d be great. He’s an economist and he’s got an MBA,’ ” Frank said, recounting the conversation. “He was hired to an entry-level position.”

Read more: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/2011_0526frank_knocked_on_his_fannie_rep_admits_to_helping_lover_land_job_at_mortgage_giant_in_91/

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Frank's relationship with Moses caused controversy and questioning of Frank's ability to oversee Fannie Mae; see Media Matters for an .

Financial Services Committee, he helped his partner land a job with one of the mortgage companies he was charged with regulating.

This is cool?

Or was involved in dealing with Congress.

I don't see the problem.

The mortgage company appears to have done a favor for a member of the House Committee in charge of regulating it.

This isn't cool.

while his partner was working there. From the link in the OP:

Doesn't it?

You can find that practically everywhere you look these days.

And like the saying goes, appearances can be deceiving.

As a CPA, I can assure the appearance of independence is MUCH more important that the fact of independence in today's society.

his ass.

This is like the wife of the CEO of a grocery chain getting a job as a purchaser at one of their stores.

Big deal.

:shrug:

There is no controversy here.

The other one said it was a mortgage company -- this one says Fannie Mae. The latter is government, the former is not.

Here's the brief AP story: "Rep. Barney Frank says he helped then-domestic partner get hired by Fannie Mae in early 1990s"...it referred to Fannie Mae as a mortgage company

...but will FuxNoose Channel make it sound like it happened today?

Isn't that kind of the problem?

It was 1991. IF - a big if - it turns out to be a problem, let's bust everyone who's doing it now FIRST. And not just Senators, all of them. Then, let's bust everyone who did it in the last administration. If there's still any government left by the time we get back to 1991, cool.

B. At the time he did it, it actually was common.

I thought he was also one of Barney's boyfriends.

they love pushing that name around.

“If it is (a conflict of interest), then much of Washington is involved (in conflicts),” Frank told the Herald last night."

So while it maybe unethical, everyone else is doing it, so therefore, that makes it a-okay in Rep. Frank's mind.

Why be different and not anticede to a popular unethical practice.

Like my mom would always say to me, "if your friend jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you do too?"

Apparently, Rep. Frank chose to take a dip with out considering anything.

I like Rep. Frank, but it appears as if he is as much a part of the club as the rest. Some are better than others, but never the less, still a part of the same club.

Just goes to show you, they don't work for us. They don't care about us. They don't fear us. They laugh at us.

There's no indication that Mr. Moses wasn't qualified for the job he got with Fannie Mae, and I have to say that if I was applying for a federal job and had a connection with an elected official, I'd sure try to use it, too. However, it will be interesting to see the treatment (and I'll bet it will be disparate) given this 20-year-old "story" and the facts surrounding former Sen. Ensign's doings in regard to the Hamptons (Ensign had affair with the missus, Ensign's parents paid off the mister to the tune of $96K, and Ensign helped mister get another job after mister left his position on Ensign's staff).

hired for an entry level position with such a poor educational background, right???

<<sarcasm>>>

It has always been hard to get a job without some kind of contacts. This story gets the tempest in a teapot award.

except hopefully Frank and his guy enjoyed it.

Right it's not unusual wrong in doing it.

I don't think so!

where nepotism is alive and well - James Baker's daughter (leaving to be top lobbyist for NBC/Comcast), Rep. Clyburn's daughter, both voted YES to NBC/Comcast deal.
The FCC is the stepping stone to lucrative lobbying jobs. There's a long history, a revolving door to high paying jobs if you've worked at the worthless and corrupt FCC.

nt

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