Changes

Fannie Mae’s targeted lobbying campaign supplemented Countrywide’s outreach to Committee Members and staff. The GSE assigned as many as 70 lobbyists to the Financial Services Committee while it considered GSE reform legislation in 2000 – 2005....During the 108th Congress, four GSE reform bills were introduced in the House. None made it out of the Financial Services Committee.<br>Countrywide also had favorable relationships with key decision makers in the [[Executive Branch]]. Two former Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development received VIP loans – [[Alphonso Jackson]] and [[Henry Cisneros]]. The VIP unit processed Cisneros’s loan after he joined the company’s Board of Directors. Jim Johnson referred former Secretary of Health and Human Services [[Donna Shalala]] to the VIP unit.}}

Fannie Mae’s targeted lobbying campaign supplemented Countrywide’s outreach to Committee Members and staff. The GSE assigned as many as 70 lobbyists to the Financial Services Committee while it considered GSE reform legislation in 2000 – 2005....During the 108th Congress, four GSE reform bills were introduced in the House. None made it out of the Financial Services Committee.<br>Countrywide also had favorable relationships with key decision makers in the [[Executive Branch]]. Two former Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development received VIP loans – [[Alphonso Jackson]] and [[Henry Cisneros]]. The VIP unit processed Cisneros’s loan after he joined the company’s Board of Directors. Jim Johnson referred former Secretary of Health and Human Services [[Donna Shalala]] to the VIP unit.}}

In addition to preferential treatment, Dodd received over $165,000 in contributions from the mortgage entities he oversaw. <ref>[http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/update-fannie-mae-and-freddie.html Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Invest in Lawmakers], By Lindsay Renick Mayer, September 11, 2008. opensecrets.org.  As DNC Chairman, it was Dodd's role to [[solicit]] and direct fundraising from donors for Democrats. Other top liberal Democrats who took money from Fannie Mae and [[Freddie Mac]] are: [[Barack Obama]], $126,000; [[John Kerry]] $111,000; [[Harry Reid]] $77,000; [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]] $76,050; [[Nancy Pelosi]] $56,250; and [[Carolyn Maloney]] $39,750. Some members also held stock and voted for funds to [[bailout]] the government sponsored entities, a possible [[conflict of interest]].</ref>

In addition to preferential treatment, Dodd received over $165,000 in contributions from the mortgage entities he oversaw. <ref>[http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/update-fannie-mae-and-freddie.html Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Invest in Lawmakers], By Lindsay Renick Mayer, September 11, 2008. opensecrets.org.  As DNC Chairman, it was Dodd's role to solicit and direct fundraising from donors for Democrats. Other top liberal Democrats who took money from Fannie Mae and [[Freddie Mac]] are: [[Barack Obama]], $126,000; [[John Kerry]] $111,000; [[Harry Reid]] $77,000; [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]] $76,050; [[Nancy Pelosi]] $56,250; and [[Carolyn Maloney]] $39,750. Some members also held stock and voted for funds to [[bailout]] the government sponsored entities, a possible [[conflict of interest]].</ref>

==Political Positions==

==Political Positions==