Top House Dem calls on feds to release Mnuchin investigation documents

The top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee is asking federal agencies to release documents from any investigations into President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Treasury Secretary.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) in a letter released Monday asked the Department of Justice and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to release materials related to any investigations of OneWest Bank while Steven Mnuchin served as its CEO from 2009-15.

Democrats have targeted Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs partner and Hollywood producer, for the more than 36,000 foreclosures OneWest carried out during his tenure.

California advocacy groups have filed formal HUD complaints over OneWest over allegedly discriminatory housing policies violating the Fair Housing Act. The California Department of Justice also investigated OneWest for violating state foreclosure laws, but then-attorney general Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) declined to file charges in 2013.

Waters asked the federal departments release documents “regarding any investigations into Mr. Mnuchin’s involvement in fraudulent or discriminatory activities during his tenure” at OneWest.

She wrote Mnuchin helped sell “risky mortgage products” at Goldmans Sachs and made a profit at OneWest “pushing families out of their homes without proper due process.”

“He should not now be allowed off the hook only because he is poised to be in a position wherein a sympathetic new administration fails to properly investigate his actions,” Waters wrote.  “The homeowners that were unfairly pushed out of their homes deserve better than that, and I urge you to fight for them until your very last day in office.”

Tara Bradshaw, a spokesperson for Mnuchin, has said the Treasury nominee helped thousands of homeowners with mortgage adjustments that helped avoid foreclosures.

“OneWest is an American success story, and Steven looks forward to telling it,” said Bradshaw.