Rep. Waters Opens Investigation of Potential Astroturfing Efforts to Influence OCC, FDIC Community Reinvestment Act Rulemaking
* * *
- Demands Agencies Explain Efforts to Ensure Legitimacy of Proposed CRA Rule
* * *
Congresswoman
"The Committee is concerned by reports alleging that certain special interest groups have submitted comments in other rulemakings while posing as consumers, small business owners, and other stakeholders," the Chairwoman wrote. "These fraudulent comments undermine legitimate debate on proposed rules by creating the false appearance that a position has widespread, grassroot support. ...Given the critical importance of CRA to low- and moderate-income communities, the Committee is interested in ensuring any amendments to the CRA are made with full and accurate input from all interested parties."
In addition to this inquiry, this
On
On
In December, the FDIC Board of Directors convened a meeting to vote on the CRA rule and Waters led a delegation of the Committee to attend the public meeting.
Additionally, all 34 Committee Democrats signed onto a letter sent to banking regulators led by Chairwoman Waters and
See the full text of the letters below.
Dear Comptroller Otting:
On
The Committee is concerned by reports alleging that certain special interest groups have submitted comments in other rulemakings while posing as consumers, small business owners, and other stakeholders. These fraudulent comments undermine legitimate debate on proposed rules by creating the false appearance that a position has widespread, grassroots support. Such misrepresentations have been increasing in frequency and complexity in recent years.[2] In late 2019, the
Given the critical importance of CRA to low- and moderate-income communities, the Committee is interested in ensuring any amendments to the CRA are made with full and accurate input from all interested parties. Pursuant to its legislative and oversight authority under House Rule X,116th
The Committee requests that you provide written responses to the following questions by
* Has the OCC developed or adopted protocols for reviewing comments submitted in connection with a rulemaking? If so, please provide a copy of these protocols.
* Has the OCC developed or adopted protocols designed to detect and address comments submitted under false identities? If so, please provide a copy of these protocols.
* How often do agency personnel receive training on the protocols referenced in questions 1 and 2?
* The OCC relies on the
* Has the OCC considered allowing the public to submit comments directly to the OCC via an OCC-managed web comment collection system? What factors prevent the OCC from managing its own system for collecting comments submitted via the web?
* What identifying information does the OCC receive from the EPA about commenters that make submissions via the Federal eRulemaking Portal? What current databases does the OCC use to corroborate this identifying information?
* In 2018, the OCC issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to obtain public input on how to revise the CRA regulations. What measures did the OCC take to screen and detect fraudulent submissions in the comments it received in response to this notice?
* What steps does the OCC plan to take to detect and prevent the submission of comments made using false identities in response to the proposed rule to amend the CRA regulations?
* Does the OCC have a policy to refer allegations of identity theft in connection with rulemaking comments to the
* Have the OCC and
Please contact
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
cc: The Honorable
* * *
[1]
[2] More Than 80% of All Net Neutrality Comments Were Sent By Bots, Researchers Say: 95 percent of all organic comments favored net neutrality, according to the analysis, Motherboard (
[3]
[4] Payday-lending crackdown draws 1.4 million letters of protest,
On
The Committee is concerned by reports alleging that certain special interest groups have submitted comments in other rulemakings while posing as consumers, small business owners, and other stakeholders. These fraudulent comments undermine legitimate debate on proposed rules by creating the false appearance that a position has widespread, grassroots support. Such misrepresentations have been increasing in frequency and complexity in recent years.[2] In late 2019, the
Given the critical importance of CRA to low- and moderate-income communities, the Committee is interested in ensuring any amendments to the CRA are made with full and accurate input from all interested parties. Pursuant to its legislative and oversight authority under House Rule X,116th
The Committee requests that you provide written responses to the following questions by
* Has the
* Has the
* How often do agency personnel receive training on the protocols referenced in questions 1 and 2?
* Many agencies rely on the
* What identifying information does the
* What other steps does the
* Does the
* Have the OCC and
Please contact
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
cc: The Honorable
* * *
[1]
[2] More Than 80% of All Net Neutrality Comments Were Sent By Bots, Researchers Say: 95 percent of all organic comments favored net neutrality, according to the analysis, Motherboard (
[3]
[4] Payday-lending crackdown draws 1.4 million letters of protest,
Sen. Menendez, Booker Announce Another $3M to Buyout Flood-Prone Properties in Cumberland County
Loeffler Under Fire for GOP Health Care Policies That Gut Pre-Existing Conditions Protections As She Pledges to Back Party '100%'
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News