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Dems Nuked the Filibuster to Confirm Him, Then He Turned to Sexual Harassment Another lingering scandal from Obama’s “scandal-free” administration. February 22, 2019 Daniel Greenfield 16 see comments at FrontPage Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical Left and Islamic terrorism In the fall of 2013, the Democrats were outraged that Republicans were blocking Obama’s nomination of Rep. Mel Watt to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Watt was African-American and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his minions repeatedly tried to associate the move with...

A Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) employee who has accused Director Mel Watt of sexual harassment described her allegations Thursday in gripping testimony before a House committee. Simone Grimes, a special adviser at FHFA, told lawmakers that Watt made dozens of sexual advances toward her, withheld a promised pay raise over her refusal of his advances and was protected by senior agency officials charged with investigating her accusations. Grimes told the House Financial Services Committee that the FHFA’s Office of Inspector General responded to her claims with “hostility, intimidation, bullying, laden with gossip and public shaming” and sought to protect...

A Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) employee who has accused Director Mel Watt of sexual harassment described her allegations Thursday in gripping testimony before a House committee. Simone Grimes, a special adviser at FHFA, told lawmakers that Watt made dozens of sexual advances toward her, withheld a promised pay raise over her refusal of his advances and was protected by senior agency officials charged with investigating her accusations.Grimes told the House Financial Services Committee that the FHFA’s Office of Inspector General responded to her claims with “hostility, intimidation, bullying, laden with gossip and public shaming” and sought to protect Watt...

A pair of top Obama-appointed bank regulators still serving in the Trump administration could spark another mortgage meltdown by lowering credit standards and encouraging risky lending practices. Democrat Mel Watt, who is serving a special five-year term as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, is pushing the mortgage-lending giants he regulates — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — to offer home loans to deadbeat borrowers with shaky credit, setting up conditions for another housing-market crash, industry officials warn. Meanwhile, the other Obama holdover — liberal Democrat Richard Cordray, who continues to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau through 2018...

North Carolina Democrats and African-American leaders are calling on Gov. Pat McCrory (R) to schedule an earlier special election for the seat of former congressman Mel Watt (D-N.C.), who was recently confirmed as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. McCrory has said the special election for the remainder of Watt's term will be held on the regular Election Day, Nov. 4, with the winner serving until the 114th Congress is sworn in early January.

Mel Watt was sworn into a top housing finance post Monday afternoon while simultaneously bringing to an end a career in Congress spanning more than two decades. The now-former representative from North Carolina was given the oath to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency by former Charlotte mayor and current Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. Watt’s path to his new position was cleared last month after a drawn-out debate that included a controversial rule change allowing him to be confirmed with a 57-41 Senate vote. …

There are two pieces of mortgage application index news today. First, Mel Watt (D-NC) was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new FHFA Director by a vote of 57-41. Only two Vichy Republicans, Bob Portman (VR-OH) and Richard Burr (VR-NC) voted for the confirmation of Mel Watt, a person with no regulatory experience and an affordable housing hawk. Watt will now be the “regulator” for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage giants in conservatorship with the FHFA. Why would President Obama nominate someone (and the Democrats confirm) with NO regulatory experience for perhaps the most important regulatory job...

**SNIP** “Filibustering a sitting member of Congress for the first time in 150 years is an insult to a colleague and, in the case of Representative Mel Watt, is a hit in the gut to the African American community. Once a president is elected, he is entitled to his choice of executives to implement the policies he had promised to carry out if elected. Representative Watt, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a graduate of Yale Law School, had deep professional experience in housing as a practicing attorney before coming to...

As many are painfully aware, the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac collapsed in price from Q4 2007 to Q4 2008. Fannie Mae stock was trading at $60.81 on September 28, 2007 and fell to $1.71 by September 30, 2008. That is quite a drop. But Fannie Mae’s equity is now at $2.73 while Freddie Mac’s is at $2.52 per share. Both started showing signs of life in March 2013, spiked on May 28th, fell again, but has regained upward momentum since September. Who is in the running to purchase Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and provide private market...

The eminent domain steamroller is gaining momentum. Irvington NJ now joins Richmond CA in the effort to seize the mortgages of underwater borrowers and reduce their debt. Other cities are moving forward (or backward) in the eminent domain derby. Newark NY, Pomona and Oakland CA are moving forward. Other cities are considering studies to seize mortgages such are two in Pennsylvania and a cities in Minnesota, according to Robert Hockett, a Cornell University law professor and one of the architects of the strategy. He should be nicknamed “Hockett to ‘em”. robert_hockett-inside-small Who is the “‘em” that Hockett want to sock...

Mel Watt, President Obama’s nominee for director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, pushed government programs to help welfare recipients buy homes during the creation of the subprime mortgage bubble. Watt, a 20-year Member of Congress from North Carolina’s 12th district, also had a hand in programs allowing borrowers with poor credit to buy homes with no down payment. The American financial system was subsequently destroyed when millions of bad borrowers defaulted on their loans, setting off a market crash that wiped out nearly 40 percent of the net worth of Americans. In 2002, Watt teamed up with Freddie Mac...

Obama’s pick to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency once said that a “majority of white voters” would never vote for a black candidate and that they should be excluded from “the democratic process.” The White House announced Wednesday that Obama will nominate Democratic North Carolina Congressman Mel Watt to take over the FHFA, which regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the country’s government sponsored mortgage companies. Watt, the former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, has in the past accused white Americans of racism. “There would be a substantial majority of white voters who would say that under no...

Redistricting fuels high N.C. political turnoverU.S. Rep. Watt said he's also considering whether to retire By Jim Morrill Modified: Thursday, Feb. 09, 2012 One governor. Three members of Congress. Thirty state lawmakers. And counting. That's how many North Carolina elected officials have announced they're not running for re-election. Before candidate filing ends Feb. 29, there are certain to be more in what's shaping up to be a year of historic change. Democratic Rep. Mel Watt said Wednesday that he's considering retiring after 20 years in the 12th District - a day after Republican U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick said she won't...

After rallying across the South last week, black farmers plan to be in Washington, D.C., on Monday to call on the government to “pay up” on its more than 10-year-old promise to compensate for discrimination. Despite the conditions of the 1999 civil rights settlement, more than 70,000 black farmers have yet to see a penny. ‘A Dying Breed’ Vern Switzer is 63 years old, but he still single-handedly farms 19 acres of land along a busy country road just outside Winston Salem, N.C. He is one of only about 30,000 black farmers in America today. These farmers are mostly in...

A Less Than Opaque Look At Mel Watt's Motivations To Kill The "Audit The Fed" Bill /snip The Tom Woods' congressional testimony last week Friday in favor of the 'Audit the Fed' bill had two very curious turns, he set off extremely hostile questioning from two congressmen, by the hearings Committee Chair Barney Frank and Representative Mel Watt. Every other Congressman that questioned Woods, and Fed General Counsel Alvarez, was seemingly concerned about where the money the Fed is printing is actually going. But not Frank and Watt. I discussed Frank's hostility, here. Watt was even more hostile. It looked...

With most Americans outraged over the behavior of the Federal Reserve and the part it has played in the bailouts of huge institutions in the financial and automotive industries, Ron Paul introduced H.R. 1207, which would have required a full audit of the Federal Reserve and its activities, which crosses international lines. According to Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, the House Financial Service Committee’s panel on domestic monetary policy, Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., essentially stripped the bill of just about everything that would have required transparency, and pretty much is now worthless as to its original purpose of letting the American...

It was Republican Sen. Richard Burr versus the Democratic congressman Tuesday night as they fielded questions on North Carolina television in a lively discussion about national health care. Burr, though agreeing that the current health-care system is "unsustainable," said the proposals by President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats would cost too much, raise too many taxes and impose too many regulations. "I don't want the government handling any more," Burr said in agreeing with one caller who said the federal government had mismanaged too many programs in the past. But Burr of Winston-Salem was a lonely voice on the one-hour...

Upcoming Healthcare EventsI wanted to let you know about 2 very important events coming up this week related to healthcare. The first event is a live call in show on UNC-TV concerning the issue of healthcare. This event will be on Tuesday, August 25th at 9:00pm. I will be joined by Congressmen Watt, Etheridge, Price and Miller. I encourage you to call into the show to not only ask me about where I stand on the issue of healthcare, but where these other elected officials stand as well. You may submit questions in advance at, www.unctv.org, or by calling the...

[edit] Opposition to increased oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac In 2003 Watt vehemently opposed efforts by the Bush Administration and Congressional Republicans to increase regulatory oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac[5]. "I don't see much other than a shell game going on here, moving something from one agency to another and in the process weakening the bargaining power of poorer families and their ability to get affordable housing", Mr. Watt said.[6]

Would anti-Sharia legislation be unconstitutional? A constitutent of Congressman Mel Watt (D-NC) sent him this message on July 26, 2007: To the Honorable Representative of the State of North Carolina: In order to assure the protection of the American People and the preservation of our Constitution, I think at this point in American history it would be a good idea to introduce legislation like the following: "In no instance shall the practice of Islamic Sharia law be established or permitted within any state or territory under the jurisdiction of the United States of America." Thank you. Watt sent back this...