Free Republic

The Obama administration targeted sole proprietors and small businesses in the real estate industry after the crash of 2008, while letting the big banks off the hook with bailouts. One of most horrific cases involved Republican real estate broker Tony Viola, who served nine and a half years in prison as a juicy target of Ohio Democratic prosecutor Dan Kasaris. He was convicted of supposedly tricking banks into offering mortgages with no money down. But in reality, the banks were knowingly offering those loans — evidence the prosecution withheld from him. Viola only got out of prison due to an...

The subprime mortgage crisis of 2008 resulted in a lot of banks getting bailed out, instead of being held responsible. In place of the banks, the Obama administration, led by Attorney General Eric Holder and then-FBI Director Robert Mueller, looked for easy, juicy targets. Mortgage brokers and real estate agents fit the mold. They were generally small, didn’t have a lot of connections with the government or the courts, and the public was looking for someone to blame for the decreasing home prices and skyrocketing foreclosures.  “Operation Stolen Dreams” was set up in various large cities to go after them. In...