Showing posts with label John Stumpf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Stumpf. Show all posts

9/23/14

Updated; New Perella Weinberg CEO Robert Steel's Securities Fraud and Insider Trading at Wachovia

"As required by the Dodd-Frank Act ...the Federal Reserve disclosed detailed information about (i) entities that received loans or other financial assistance under a Section 13(3) credit facility between December 1, 2007, and July 21, 2010; ...or borrowed through the Term Auction Facility (TAF) during that time frame.

Excel (953 KB)

This information includes:

...The specific terms of any repayment expected, including the repayment time period, interest charges, collateral and other material terms...

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/reform_taf.htm
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Loan date............Maturity.......Term...Amount.....Rate........Unencumbered collateral

Dec 20 2007....Jan 17 2008.....28....... 25.0......4.650.......65.4556 Billion Unencumbered Collateral
Mar 27 2008...Apr 24 2008.....28.....3,500.0....2.615.......65.8325 Unreported Collateral
Jul 31 2008......Aug 28 2008....28.....5,000.0.....2.350......61,879.7
Aug 14 2008....Sep 11 2008....28.....5,000.0.....2.450......62,518.3
Aug 14 2008....Nov 6 2008.....84.....2,500.0......2.754......62,518.3
Aug 28 2008....Sep 25 2008....28.....5,000.0......2.380......60,062.8
Sep 11 2008....Oct 9 2008......28......2,500.0......2.530......56,838.9
Sep 11 2008....Dec 4 2008......84......2,500.0......2.670......56,838.9
Sep 25 2008....Oct 23 2008.....28......5,000.0......3.750......56,848.4
Oct 9 2008.......Jan 2 2009.......85.....15,000.0.....1.390......29,396.4
Oct 23 2008.....Nov 20 2008...28.....15,000.0......1.110......33,997.8
Nov 6 2008......Jan 29 2009.....84.....15,000.0......0.600......36,562.7
Nov 20 2008....Dec 18 2008....28.....15,000.0......0.510......47,212.7
Dec 22 2008.....Jan 8 2009.......17.....10,000.0......0.528......76,280.0
Feb 26 2009.....May 21 2009...84.......5,000.0.......0.250......67,820.2

Unencumbered Collateral represents assets free and clear of any encumbrances such as creditor claims or liens, which in this case, showed that Wachovia had an unreported Federal Reserve credit line worth tens of billions during the financial crisis very few knew of, which included Robert Steel.

On July 9, 2008, Robert Steel became president and CEO of Wachovia after working for Goldman Sachs from 1976 to 2004 and the US Treasury under former Goldman Sachs CEO Henry Paulson from October 10, 2006 until July 9, 2008. During his tenure at the U.S. Treasury, he revived the President's Working Group, the core group to respond to the global economic crisis of 2008.

The Working Group consists of:

The Secretary of the Treasury, or his/her designee (as Chairperson of the Working Group);
The Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or his/her designee;
The Chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or his/her designee; and
The Chairperson of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or his/her designee.

On July 22, 2008, Mr. Steel personally purchased 1,000,000 shares of Wachovia’s stock as the company’s undisclosed Federal Reserve Term Auction Facility (TAF) borrowing reached $12.5 billion, terms of which which were not disclosed in Wachovia's securities filings audited by KPMG.

After Perrella Weinberg announced Steel's new CEO post, Richard Craver of the Winston-Salem Journal wrote "Steel received some criticism during Wachovia’s downfall for playing up its health, including spending $16.1 million to buy 1 million shares of stock shortly after he took over as chief executive. ...At the same time, unknown to the public, Wachovia was borrowing heavily from the Federal Reserve."

Steel bought Wachovia’s stock while in possession of material, nonpublic insider information and violated Sarbanes-Oxley, while not informing financial advisers acting as fiduciaries for accounts governed by the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 under his supervision.

Bloomberg detailed Federal Reserve provided transactions on August 22, 2011, including undisclosed loans to Wachovia and Wells Fargo amongst others.

http://www.bloomberg.com/data-visualization/federal-reserve-emergency-lending/#/overview/?sort=nomPeakValue&group=none&view=peak&position=0&comparelist=&search=

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which I have taught in ethics courses for CPAs and others for 10 years, requires financial statements fairly present, in all material respects, a company’s financial condition. Financial information in press releases or other public disclosures must not “contain an untrue statement” or omit a statement of  material fact necessary to make statements not misleading.

In an interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer On Monday, September 15, 2008, Steel said "I think it's really about...transparency. People have to understand the assets and really be able to say, this is what I own... Complete disclosure. ...we can work through this with transparency, liquidity and capital. ...Our strategy was to give you all the data so you could make your own model. We tell you what we're doing... ...we're raising capital ourselves by basically shrinking the balance sheet, cutting the dividend, cutting expenses. We can create more capital ourselves that way... for now, we feel like we can work through this..." After Jim Cramer asked "Should there be any sort of quick regulatory relief from the SEC that would make life easier to be able to make your bank much stronger?", Mr. Steel responded "I don't think it's about my bank."

After not reporting TAF loans, Wachovia's CEO wrote "I, Robert K. Steel, certify that: I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2008 of Wachovia Corporation; Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report...

Mr. Steel was at least aware of Wachovia’s Federal Reserve loans since July, 2012, if not the undisclosed loans to multiples of other financial institutions.


Wachovia stock price on date of first TAF loan: 3/27/2008 - Last Trade: 27.07

Wachovia price on date of completed merger with Wells: 12/31/2008 - Last Trade: 5.54

As of January 31, 2008, there were 1,981,983,990 Wachovia shares outstanding.

27.07 - 5.54 = 21.53 x 1,981,983,990 = $42,672,115,304.70 Wachovia market capitalization lost between the first undisclosed TAF loan and Wells merger.

On June 22, 2010, Robert Steel was appointed Deputy Mayor for Economic Development by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, after which, Steel resigned his seat on the Wells Fargo board. According to Morningstar data, Mr. Steel owned 601,903 shares of Wells Fargo in 2010, which would have been worth about $30,564,634 as of May 30, 2014.

If Wachovia's shareholders knew how much liquidity was available from the Federal Reserve, Wachovia's stock price wouldn't have fallen to the degree it did, and would have most likely survived without being acquired.

That the merger between Wachovia and Wells Fargo was completed without either company disclosing the secret TAF loans indicates the US regulatory system has been compromised.
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On December 21, 2011, Stephanie L. Hunsaker, Senior Assistant Chief Accountant Division of Corporation Finance at the Securities and Exchange Commission asked Wells Fargo & Company; "We have become aware through various news reports that you may have accessed various Federal Reserve ...sponsored funding programs during 2008 and 2009, including the Term Auction Facility (TAF)... We note from your disclosures during these periods that ...you do not appear to have provided any discussion about certain other programs that were in existence at this time, such as the TAF... 

Wells Fargo responded by stating "We did participate in the Term Auction Facility (TAF) during 2008 through August 2009. TAF was established by the Federal Reserve in December 2007, and represented one of several sources of competitive, low-cost short term funding available to us. ...At December 31, 2008, our short-term borrowings under TAF totaled $72.5 billion, which included $40 billion of TAF borrowings by Wachovia Corporation at the time of acquisition [approved by the Federal Reserve Board which issued the loans].

However, the TAF borrowings were classified differently in the legacy Wells Fargo and Wachovia accounting systems (which had not been integrated as of the time the 2008 Form 10-K was prepared), which resulted in our reporting of $32.5 billion of the TAF borrowings in the “Commercial paper and other short-term borrowings” line item, and the $40 billion of Wachovia TAF borrowings reported in the “Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase” line item...

...our management did not distinguish TAF from other sources of short-term borrowings, such as federal funds purchased, commercial paper or securities sold under repurchase agreements...

...We were a viable entity regardless of whether we participated in the programs. Further, our participation in the programs did not ...provide ...arrangements designed to insulate us from the economic effects of problem assets. ...our participation in the referenced programs did not materially affect, and was not reasonably likely to have a material future effect upon our financial condition or results of operations...

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/72971/000119312511349117/filename1.htm
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By not reporting details of Federal Reserve loans, including interest rates, term, total credit line and collateral, Wachovia's shareholders were harmed.

I believe Mr. Steel is guilty of insider trading and securities fraud.

The Federal Reserve Board led by Ben Bernanke, approved the merger without disclosing the loans to the public.

Wachovia's shareholders were defrauded by Wachovia's Robert Steel and Wells Fargo's John Stumpf, and no one at the federal level did anything about it, including US Attorney General Eric Holder.

SEC TCR Submitted Successfully - Reference Number: TCR1401728014514


http://www.taxpayer.net/user_uploads/file/Bailout/BankBios/WellsFargo/Finance/WACHOVIACORP%2010Q%203rd%20qtr%202008.pdf

10/15/13

Gov Shutdown Story; Hartzman v Wells Fargo Subpoena Black Hole

 
On September 30, 2013, I sent a subpoena after receiving authorization to begin discovery to Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Kenneth A. Krantz, located in Newport News, Virginia;



When I called to follow up on the subpoena after not receiving an expected objection from Wells Fargo, voice recordings from the ALJ phone systems were the only indication that the office existed, as there seems to be no one working because of the shutdown.

On October 1, 2013, at 12:01 a.m. EDT, the federal government's new fiscal year began along with a partial federal shutdown.

My subpoena was received by the ALJ on October 3, 2013, at 14:27

To reduce the risk of having the case lost in this mess, I am posting the subpoena sent and others until the courts catch up.  I assume my stuff is sitting in a big pile along with many other's.



Attachment A

Please provide all documents and communications between January 2012 and the moment the subpoena is presented relating to George Hartzman, including “the independent review” and determinations that “Mr. Hartzman’s allegations regarding both “secret” loans and Envision were meritless” which Wells Fargo and Hank Sanchez refused to provide George Hartzman and the Department of Labor’s William Peterson, Regional Investigator, USDOL-OSHA  - Raleigh Area Office.

From a July 23, 2013 letter from Wells Fargo;


“…the investigator has now completed the independent review and concluded that there is no merit to any of your concerns.”

[GH; Wells Fargo wouldn't provide the report or say why there was no merit.]

From Wells Fargo’s communications with the Department of Labor, submitted by Gregory C. Keating of Littler Mendelson P.C.;

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Background;

Hartzman v Wells Fargo; SEC and FINRA Whistleblower Evidence

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/02/sec-and-finra-whistleblower-evidence.html

Envision

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2013/01/envision.html
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From the evidence sent to the ALJ on September 30;

If Wells Fargo's contention is my filing has no standing under Sarbanes-Oxley, why did the Securities Division of the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State investigate and refer the matter to the SEC, and why would Wells hire an "independent" outside investigator?






From a public records request from the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State Securities Division;

"FINRA & SEC Referral - 2 issues

6/15/12 - Reviewed complaint with Dan Stefek [FINRA] (Atlanta) - Will direct to Dan's attention

6/18/12 - Reviewed issues with Donna Esau [?] (SEC Atlanta) - Recommended to speak directly with Michael Mashburn (SEC Atlanta) Senior Council - understands TARP issues

6/20/12 - [left message for Mashburn] - missed return call

6/21/12 - Reviewed issues with Mashburn

Requested that complaint be sent directly to him."

Steven Butz
Director – Investment Adviser & Broker Dealer Examinations
North Carolina Secretary of State Securities Division




From: George Hartzman to: Joan.Benedetto@finra.org, bcc: whistleblower@finra.org, whistleblower@consumerfinance.gov, ombudsman@ncdoj.gov, ombudsman@fdic.gov, chairmanoffice@sec.gov, Brian Clarey, Amanda Lehmert, Joe Killian, Allen Johnson, Matthew Evans, Jeff Horwitz, Jeff Gauger

Date: Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 10:57 PM Subject: Re: your inquiry today

I have internal use info that was up on a website that is evidence, that I was told to take down or be fired. I was also told in writing not to give it to anyone. They were fine with illegally firing me because it would have to go civil, and I would be out of the system and out of a job...

Mr. [Brian] Craig [FINRA Office of the Whistleblower] has done nothing.

Mr. Craig talked on the phone with me once, and then did nothing.

Four months and counting I think.

The SOPs of the SEC and FINRA leave those like me helpless and unknowing.

Is Mr. Craig's case still open? Why no follow up?

I found banks that reported the loans, and others who didn't.

For how long has FINRA known that?

How long has FINRA known about Envision and 4front?

How long has FINRA let the financial industry lie to the people your agency is supposed to protect?

I have almost been fired three times, ... I have been trying to do the right thing and the response from FINRA has been 0.

Sorry to unload on you Joan, but this is ridiculous.

I need someone to stand up other than myself.

My understanding is that it is FINRA's job to do so, and FINRA has failed so far.

gh

4/30/13

"Complaint to a Member of Congress"; ABA..., and Facebook conversations with then US Congressman Brad Miller

George Hartzman v Wells Fargo Linkfest so far, Ordered Oldest to Newest

SEC and FINRA Whistleblower Evidence

If Union Bank and Trust in Oxford, NC disclosed Federal Reserve loans Wells Fargo didn't, how did Wells Fargo not violate Sarbanes Oxley?

Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi on George Hartzman's Whistleblower Filing

Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi "Secret and Lies of the Bailout"

Wells Fargo's attorney Gregory C. Keating re; Wells Fargo Advisors LLC / Hartzman / 4-3750-13-010

Hartzman versus Wells Fargo Advisors, Part One, including some emails from Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi

George v $WFC Part One, Scene Two; Hartzman emails to @MTaibbi on $JPM's #JamieDimon, with some Bloomberg's @bobivry

Wells Fargo v Hartzman DOL/OSHA Evidence, with some SARBOX info from Keating's "Retaliation and Whistleblowing"

On Whistleblower Protections and Wells Fargo's violation of George Hartzman's anonymity

Gregory Keating on Qualified Protected Activity Under SARBOX

I was wondering why Wells Fargo's attorney from Littler Mendelson didn't bring up "the right to confidentiality"

"Complaint to a Member of Congress"; ABA..., and Facebook conversations with then US Congressman Brad Miller

At a meeting with US Congressman Howard Coble on Monday, I told him I would be putting this up. BBT included

On SEC Chair Mary Jo White needing to recuse herself from Hartzman v Wells Fargo

I was wondering why Wells Fargo's attorney from Littler Mendelson didn't bring up "the right to confidentiality"

4/29/13

"Mr. Hartzman does not identify any specific reporting practice by Wells Fargo with respect tho these "secret" loans

Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 10:37 AM

from: george.hartzman@wellsfargoadvisors.com to: aaron.l.landry@wellsfargoadvisors.com, danny.ludeman@wellsfargoadvisors.com, john.g.stumpf@wellsfargo.com, d.carroll@wellsfargo.com, stacey.mitchell@wellsfargoadvisors.com, don.geczi@wellsfargoadvisors.com, baconmij@wellsfargo.com, bill.rogers@wellsfargoadvisors.com, doug.lowe@wellsfargoadvisors.com, BoardCommunications@wellsfargo.com, karl.f.riem@wellsfargo.com, Grant.Carlson@wellsfargo.com, Bruce.J.Berrol@wellsfargo.com

Attachments; 10k.doc
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“LIQUIDITY AND FUNDING

Asset liquidity is further enhanced by our ability to sell or securitize loans in secondary markets and to pledge loans to access secured borrowing facilities through the Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal Reserve Board, or the U.S. Treasury.

[Ability doesn't mean borrowed]

Short-term borrowings averaged $65.8 billion in 2008 and $25.9 billion in 2007, an increase of $39.9 billion due to business funding needs.”

Wells Fargo 2008 10k

[no mention of FED TAF loans or Discount Window borrowing]
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Falsification of any company…information that you provide is prohibited.

Falsification refers to knowingly misstating, altering, adding information to, or omitting or deleting information …which results in something that is untrue, fraudulent, or misleading.

Wells Fargo’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct
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“Asset liquidity is further enhanced by our ability to sell or securitize loans in secondary markets and to pledge loans to access secured borrowing facilities through the Federal Home Loan Banks, the FRB, or the U.S. Treasury.

Short-term borrowings averaged $52.0 billion in 2009 and $65.8 billion in 2008.

We reduced short-term borrowings due to the continued liquidation of previously identified non-strategic and liquidating loan portfolios, soft loan demand and strong deposit growth.”

2009 10k

[no mention of FED TAF loans or Discount Window borrowing]
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Short-Term Borrowings

2007: 53,255.0

2008: 108,074.0

2009: 38,966.0

2010: 55,401.0

[no mention of FED TAF loans or Discount Window borrowing]
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Sarbanes–Oxley Act

...mandates that senior executives take individual responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of corporate financial reports.

...Section 302 requires that the company's "principal officers" (typically the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer) certify and approve the integrity of their company financial reports quarterly.

Title IV ...requires timely reporting of material changes in financial condition...

Sarbanes-Oxley required the disclosure of all material off-balance sheet items.

It ...specifies the responsibility of corporate officers for the accuracy and validity of corporate financial reports.

...The CEO and CFO are now required to unequivocally take ownership for their financial statements under Section 302…

Title IV ...requires timely reporting of material changes in financial condition...

Sarbanes-Oxley required the disclosure of all material off-balance sheet items.

Wikipedia

"SEC Charges City of Harrisburg for Fraudulent Public Statements" and Hartzman v Wells Fargo with a Mash Up

"Washington, D.C., May 6, 2013 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged the City of Harrisburg, Pa., with securities fraud for its misleading public statements when its financial condition was deteriorating and financial information available to ...investors was incomplete...

At a meeting with US Congressman Howard Coble on Monday, I told him I would be putting this up. BB&T included

10/8/12

A message sent to North Carolina US Senator Kay Hagan


If Wells Fargo top brass benefited from regulator approved insider trading, who else did the same?

If Wells Fargo & Company’s board of directors
approved a grant of retention performance shares
for President and CEO John G. Stumpf and three other executive officers,
and all of the above were aware of secret Federal Reserve Loans,
how did they not benefit from insider trading?


NORTH CAROLINA SECURITIES DIVISION COMPLAINT

U.S. Treasury’s TARP Capital Purchase Program: Wells Fargo Press Release


Wells Fargo has hired Henry "Hank" Sanchez, Jr. Esq., with Oyster Consulting, to independently investigate George Hartzman's Whistleblower filing

"Mr. Sanchez has been in the securities industry for over 25 years.

Did Wells Fargo CEO John G. Stumpf profit from stock and option compensation while not disclosing material information?

If Wells Fargo & Company’s board of directors
approved a grant of retention performance shares
for President and CEO John G. Stumpf and three other executive officers,
and all of the above were aware of secret Federal Reserve Loans,
how did they not benefit from insider trading?


The potential enormity of George Hartzman's Wells Fargo Whistleblower filing on Envision Investment Plans and 4front

Wells Fargo Advisors is one of the nation's premier financial services firms.

Its brokerage business is represented by more than 15,000 Financial Advisors...

If about 10,000 Wells Fargo Financial Advisors
had to do a minimum of 25 Envision Investment Plans on households worth at least $250,000
to receive 4Front compensation ["retention bonus after Wells acquisition of Wachovia"?]
and the average assets held by households that received 4Front Envision plans
was/is about $450,000,
and the average number of qualifying FA 4Front Envision Plans
was/is about 35 per Financial Advisor,

If about 10,000 FA's created about 35 plans each = 350,000 4Front Envision Plans,
and about 350,000 x what could be about $450,000 of assets held for each household = $157,500,000,000,
could George Hartzman's Wells Fargo Whistleblower filing
affect what could be more than $150 billion of Wells Fargo Advisors client assets?

Fecundstench, Ed Cone, Billy Jones, Tony Wilkins and Roch on Hartzman's Wells Fargo Whistleblower filing

Please make sure to read the comment sections.



Making the Case Against Hartzman

Making the Case for Hartzman

Please make sure to read the comment sections.