Treasury Under Fire for Handling of TARP

March 31, 2009 -- Six months after the Troubled Asset Relief Program was signed into law, lawmakers and oversight officials, worried about the trillions of taxpayer dollars at stake, said Tuesday that the Treasury Department had not resolved problems regarding the program's accountability and transparency, nor a communications strategy.

One watchdog group said flatly that Treasury had not cooperated with oversight efforts up to this point.

"Our concern right now is that we do not seem to be a priority for the Treasury Department," Elizabeth Warren chairwoman of the Congressional Oversight Panel told a Senate Finance Committee hearing today. "We have sent letters. We have requested that there be someone named so that we can get technical information. And so far, we have not been a first priority."

"As I see it, you really have two options here," Warren said. "Either you get Treasury to get some religion on this point -- and put their own standards in place, or Congress is forced to step in. We will do everything we can on your behalf, as your congressional oversight panel, but what we can best do for you now is to identify and pinpoint that this is precisely where the problem starts."

Neil Barofsky, special inspector general for TARP, voiced similar concerns. He noted that his office had recently conducted a survey of all 364 TARP recipients on their use of government funds, something his office had requested Treasury do, only for the department to decline to do it except for Citigroup and Bank of America.

"One thing is clear: Complaints that it was impractical, impossible or a waste of time to require banks to detail how they used TARP funds were unfounded," Barofsky said.

"The survey strongly supports my earlier recommendation to Treasury," he emphasized. "Banks can and should be required to report on their use of taxpayer money to provide maximum transparency and not simply be asked to report on the possible impact of the funds, such as giving only lending activity."