Who Crossed The Line On The Street?

摘要

Federal and state investigators, eager to show the world that they're on the case, are sifting through Wall Street's debris looking for evidence of wrongdoing. What they know is that big banks created toxic mortgages and securities that brought the global financial system to its knees. What they're trying to figure out is whether firms broke the law, too.rnJudging from the growing chorus of angry taxpayers and investors, there will be a push to pin the blame on CEOs, directors, and others at the highest levels of finance. Federal securities regulators, U.S. attorneys, and state attorneys general are investigating a range of possible misdeeds, including the misleading of shareholders, the approval of fraudulent loans, and the foisting of inappropriate mortgages on borrowers. "People want the most visible faces of these companies to pay," says Pravin B. Rao, a former SEC official and currently a partner with corporate law firm Perkins Coie.