Goldman Sachs Sued by SEC for Fraud Tied to CDOs
Posted By thestatedtruth.com on April 16, 2010
Goldman Sachs Sued by SEC for Fraud Tied to CDOsÂ
By Joshua Gallu and Christine Harper
April 16 (Bloomberg) — Goldman Sachs Group Inc. was sued by U.S. regulators for fraud tied to collateralized debt obligations that contributed to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The firm’s shares tumbled as much as 16 percent and financial stocks slumped.
Goldman Sachs misstated and omitted key facts about a financial product tied to subprime mortgages as the U.S. housing market was starting to falter, the Securities and Exchange Commission said in a statement today. The SEC also sued Fabrice Tourre, a Goldman Sachs vice president.
“The product was new and complex but the deception and conflicts are old and simple,†SEC Enforcement Director Robert Khuzami said in the statement. “Goldman wrongly permitted a client that was betting against the mortgage market to heavily influence which mortgage securities to include in an investment portfolio, while telling other investors that the securities were selected by an independent, objective third party.â€
The SEC alleged that Goldman Sachs, led by Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein, 55, structured and marketed CDOs that hinged on the performance of subprime mortgage-backed securities. The New York-based firm failed to disclose to investors that hedge fund Paulson & Co. was betting against the CDO, known as Abacus, and influenced the selection of securities for the portfolio, the SEC said. Paulson wasn’t accused of wrongdoing.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=agT1H2ffyJCA
Jim Sinclair’s Commentary
If you think that Goldman’s problems are not shared by the entire derivative market, you are bonkers.
If you see the Goldman situation as negative to gold you are a total fool.
If you see the Goldman situation as being bullish to the dollar, you are hopeless.
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