WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), a member of the House Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Science, State, Justice and Commerce, and Related Agencies, which oversees discretionary spending of the Justice Department, FBI and other agencies, issues the following statement:

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation and its director, Robert Mueller, should be commended for stepping up its investigation of mortgage fraud and possible criminal activities related to the growing national financial crisis. This investigation must be pursued in the most vigorous and far-reaching manner.

“This is an overdue course of action I have been advocating as the crisis deepened. In a letter to Director Mueller on August 25, 2008, I questioned the lack of FBI resources allocated to its criminal investigations unit regarding mortgage fraud. Calls for a stepped up investigation into the criminal as well as financial implications of the crisis are at the heart of legislation cleared this week by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and in a bill approved by the House Monday calling for an FBI nationwide mortgage fraud coordinator.

“While the Congress debates possible financial remedies, it is not enough to dismiss this crisis as a product of greed and poor judgment. Evidence is mounting daily that actual crimes have been committed in the manipulation of financial markets and in deceptive practices that preyed upon unwitting consumers and borrowers. It is the responsibility of the FBI to investigate thoroughly and bring any perpetrators to justice.”

Read Text: Letter sent by Congressman Chaka Fattah to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning investigation of the mortgage crisis