JPMorgan CEO met with series of protests at Senate hearing

JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon was met with noisy protests as he prepared to testify before the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday.

The head of the nation’s largest bank was in Washington to explain how his bank had lost billions of dollars in a complex trade on corporate debt, which has reignited the debate on oversight of the financial system. The bank’s solvency is not thought to be endangered by the losses.

As soon as Dimon took his seat at the witness table, protesters in the audience stood up and began shouting.

“This man is a crook and needs to go to jail!” yelled one man. “These men are predators on the American taxpayers’ money.”

{mosads}The man continued to yell as Dimon took his seat, adding that people should listen to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has called for Dimon and other bankers to be removed from their roles on the board of Federal Reserve banks.

Later, another woman stood up and apparently described how she had suffered a foreclosure, before five protesters stood up and began chanting, “Stop foreclosures now!” They were led out of the hearing room by U.S. Capitol Police.

“There’s a day coming!” one hollered as he was led out the door.

Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) then officially opened the hearing, warning that anyone else would be promptly removed for interrupting.