August 03, 2005

Another ambassador...

It appears that Bolton is not the only controversial ambassadorial nomination coming from the Bush administration at the moment.

At The Washington Note the nominee for the American embassy in the Netherlands also appears to have some shadier sides.

"Last Thursday, Bush nominated Roland Arnall to be the U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands. The same day, Ameriquest Capital Corp., of which Arnall is the chairman and sole owner, announced that it had set aside $325 million for potential settlements with 30 states whose regulatory agencies or attorneys general are investigating its lending practices.Ameriquest, a mortgage company which lends primarily to homeowners with bad credit, has been accused of predatory lending practices.

According to the Washington Post, the company "is facing complaints of wrongdoing from coast to coast, with thousands of customers seeking restitution." Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, CA, complained that Arnall's "companies have engaged in unfair and deceptive practices too many times to count." "These executives should be headed to the pen, not some diplomat's mansion."

More can be read here:

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000873.html

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