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May 16, 2008 3:04:51 AM CDT



Fed, Execs Defend Bear Bailout  

Posted Apr 3, 08 12:10 PM CDT in Business Politics    Most Covered

(newser) – Bear Stearns was just hours from collapse, and letting it go down would have been disastrous, executives and regulators argued on Capital Hill today while defending the controversial bailout, the New York Times reports. Without the takeover, “we would all be facing a far more dire set of challenges,” said JPMorgan CEO James Dimon, citing the possibility of a mass run on other investment banks.

New York’s Fed president recalled getting an evening call from the SEC, saying Bear intended to declare bankruptcy the next morning. “We judged that a sudden, disorderly failure of Bear would have brought with it unpredictable but severe consequences,” he said, explaining the swift bargaining process that brought about the Fed-backed takeover. Lawmakers have attacked the bailout as a “moral hazard.”  

Sources: New York Times, CNN, Wall Street Journal

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Fed, Execs Defend Bear Bailout
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 2, 2008, before the Joint Economic Committee.   (AP Photo)
Fed, Execs Defend Bear Bailout
James Dimon, chairman and CEO of JP Morgan Chase & Co., holds a news conference in this June 14, 2007, file photo.   (AP Photo)
Fed, Execs Defend Bear Bailout
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 2, 2008, before the Joint Economic Committee.   (AP Photo)
Fed, Execs Defend Bear Bailout
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 2, 2008, before the Joint Economic Committee.   (AP Photo)
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