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Los Angeles, the Jewish community, the legal profession, and the financial crisis

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Request for compensation, filed today with Bet Tzedek, the Los Angeles "House of Justice", one of the highest visibility institutions of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, provides evidence that the charity, priding itself as "one of the nation's premier poverty law centers", was for almost a decade a hub for racketeering by Countrywide's Chief Legal Officer Sandor Samuels - a key figure in the financial crisis that impoverished millions of Americans - through collusion of large law-firms, judges, and banksters. The distinction of Los Angeles County by FBI since the early 2000s as "the epicenter of the epidemic of real-estate and mortgage fraud" was no coincidence...

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OccupyTLV, December 22- in late October, Bet Tzedek, the Los Angeles "House of Justice" - a prominent Los Angeles Jewish charitable institution and an affiliate of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles - issued announcement of the appointment of Attorney Jessie Kornberg as its new President and CEO. [i] In that capacity, she replaced Sandor Samuels, former Countrywide Financial Corporation Chief Legal Officer, and former Bank of America Associate General Counsel. The replacement of Mr Samuels as Bet Tzedek's President comes in the wake of the record "settlement" of Bank of America, as Countrywide's successor, relative to fraud practices of Countrywide mortgage operations, [ii] and record sums paid to whistle-blowers in the same matter. [iii] In past years, Mr Samuels was advertised on the Bet Tzedek web site as one who was responsible for all legal matters in Countrywide Financial Corporation. As such, Mr Samuels should be deemed one of the key figures in the financial crisis and the related rampant foreclosure fraud epidemic, which impoverished millions of Americans.


(Image by Jewish Journal, Los Angeles)   Details   DMCA

Attorney Jessie Kornberg was appointed in late October 2014 President and CEO of Bet Tzedek -- the Los Angeles "House of Justice" - one of the most visible charities of the organized Los Angeles Jewish community. Now she is asked to compensate Dr Zernik, a victim of the conduct of her predecessor, Countrywide Chief Legal Officer Sandor Samuels, from his office on Bet Tzedek premises.

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At the same time, Bet Tzedek advertises itself as "one of the nation's premier poverty law centers", and one that specializes in protecting the needy against housing fraud.

The absurdity apparently never registered with Bet Tzedek and the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, with whom Bet Tzedek is affiliated.


(Image by Bet Tzedek and Sandor Samuels)   Details   DMCA

Part of the Bet Tzedek web site on June 20, 2007.

A day later, Dr Zernik hand delivered a request for help to Sandor Samuels in his capacity as President of Bet Tzedek in the Bet Tzedek office on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. Mr Samuels was asked to help in stopping housing fraud, then being perpetrated by the Countrywide Legal Department under his leadership. Within 24 hours after filing of the request, the entire Bet Tzedek web site went down. When it came up again, it included neither any mention of the "Fraud Buster" campaign, nor of Mr Samuels himself.

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The only reference to Mr Samuels, her predecessor, in the announcement of Ms Kornberg appointment misrepresents the length of Mr Samuels tenure as Bet Tzedek's President:

"Her appointment continues a pattern of young leadership for the organization. With the exception of Kornberg's immediate predecessor, Sandor Samuels -- who resigned this past summer and was 58 years old when he was hired in 2010 -- previous leaders have been in their 30s or even younger."

Request for compensation, which was filed today with Attorney Kornberg, details evidence of fraud by Bet Tzedek's Sandor Samuels in collusion with other former and current Bet Tzedek senior officers: Attorney David Pasternak - current Bet Tzedek Board Member, former Bet Tzedek President, and former President of the Los Angeles Bar Association, and Terry Friedman - current Bet Tzedek Board Member, former Bet Tzedek Executive Director, and former California Judge. [iv]

The request for compensation reveals a troubling pattern of conduct by Bet Tzedek, by the Los Angeles Jewish community, and by the Los Angeles legal profession. It also provides unique insights into the criminal activity that underlies the financial crisis, and the reasons for the failure to prosecute the culprits in what is likely to be the biggest heist in human history. The request also provides new insights into how Los Angeles County came to be distinguished in FBI reports already in the early 2000s as "the epicenter of the epidemic of real-estate and mortgage fraud", which hatched the financial crisis.

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Dr Zernik's core research pertains to e-government and its significance for Human Rights and Civil Society.

His work won appreciation in Israel and abroad: * Prof Uzzi Ornan - "All power to you! I hope that you see your tremendous efforts (more...)
 
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