G.A.O. Says New York Fed Failed to Push A.I.G. Concessions

The New York Times reports:

The findings of a federal investigation released Monday raised new questions about the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s handling of the 2008 bailout of American International Group.

The report, by the Government Accountability Office, says that New York Fed officials have offered inconsistent explanations for their decision to pay other financial companies the full amounts they were owed by A.I.G., and that some of the explanations were contradicted by other evidence.

The report also asserts that the decision to pay the full amounts, rather than seeking concessions as the government later did in other cases, disregarded the expectations of senior Fed officials in Washington and the expressed willingness of some of the companies to accept smaller payments.

In one case, when a company offered to accept a smaller amount of money, officials at the New York Fed responded that they had decided to pay the full amount of the debt, the report said.

An article well worth your time.