Beau Biden, Delaware's Attorney General

MSNBC: Beau on Dylan Ratigan

louie — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:49:49 +0000

FDL: Justice Democrats Still Holding Out on Foreclosure Fraud Settlement

pam — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:35:49 +0000

The New York Times describes the foreclosure fraud settlement in terms of inches. They say that a deal is “closer,” but they give little evidence to back that up. In fact, there’s more evidence here that the key AGs involved, who did not personally attend Monday’s session in Chicago with Shaun Donovan and other Administration officials, aren’t too keen on the terms. (I think I was the very first to report that the key AGs wouldn’t be at the meeting, by the way.)

This month, about 15 Democratic attorneys general who shared concerns about the course of the settlement talks met in Washington, including Ms. Coakley, Mr. Schneiderman, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Beau Biden of Delaware, who is a son of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

A week after the meeting, Mr. Donovan announced that a deal was “very close.” But none of those four attorneys general attended the meeting on Monday.

Neither did another important holdout, Kamala Harris, California’s attorney general, who opposed earlier proposed agreements …

Read the whole article >>

Dover Post: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Attorney General visit Dover Air Force Base

pam — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:32:00 +0000

Consumer fraud predators constantly roam about seeking whom they can victimize next, be they senior citizens, naïve consumers and even members of the mighty U.S. Military.

As such, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden and U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Assistant Director Holly Petraeus held a town hall meeting at Dover Air Force Base Friday to advise airmen of the consumer fraud that lurks for them. They sat down with commissioned and non-commissioned officers.

Those officers will relate what they learned to the men and women serving under them, Major Jason Wolff said.

Scam artists have actually increased their attempts to rip people off in the wake of the Great Recession, Biden said.

“When people are in tough shape and desperate, they are more susceptible to that deal that looks too good to be true,” he said. “These folks who prey on citizens don’t discriminate between civilians and people in the military.

“And, unfortunately, they sometimes target the military because they know that airmen returning from oversees and from war zones sometimes come back with cash in our pocket,” said Biden, who serves in the U.S. Army National Guard. “So, we’re an easy mark.”

Senior Master Sgt. Patrick Piazza started things off with a poignant question about the high interest loans given by some local car dealerships. One young man in his squadron had 26 percent interest on his car loan, Piazza said.

“He was actually making monthly payments on his down payment,” he said. “What really concerns me is the guy who called me to ask if I could help get this payment is a retired master sergeant. I feel like these guys know the position we’re in and taking advantage of our guys.”

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WDEL: Mrs. Petraeus discusses consumer protection w/ military members

pam — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:48:30 +0000

Attorney General Beau Biden and the wife of General David Petraeus are meeting with members of the Delaware National Guard to discuss consumer protection and financial issues facing service members.

Read the whole article and see the video >>

WHYY: Delaware’s mandatory mortgage mediation program starts

pam — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:51:39 +0000

Modeled after a successful program in Philadelphia, Delaware leaders officially launched the First State’s new mortgage mediation program.

Delaware has had a mortgage mediation program in place for a few years now, but that program was voluntary. Last year, state lawmakers took action to make the program mandatory for lenders prior to foreclosing on a homeowner.

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden says this program will help homeowners open up dialogue with their lenders. “Homeowners should not have to fight to speak to their lender,” Biden said while officially launching the program at the West End Neighborhood House in Wilmington. “Both parties, borrowers and lenders, have strong interest in finding mutually agreeable terms and alternatives to foreclosure.”

The mediation meetings are mandatory for lenders, but the law doesn’t force borrowers to attend. Biden says he hopes residents facing foreclosure will not hide from their troubles, but will come forward and see that there can be a solution that will allow them to keep their homes. “The success of these programs lies largely in their high participation rates,” Biden said. Philadelphia’s mediation program had 70% participation rate, and Biden says 85% of participants in the program were able to still be in their homes 18 months later.

Read the whole article >>

WGMD: New mandatory foreclosure mediation program to start Thursday

pam — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:50:08 +0000

A new mandatory foreclosure mediation program goes into effect in Delaware tomorrow/Thursday. This was established by Attorney General Beau Biden’s office and state lawmakers as part of a legislative package to respond to the foreclosure crisis in the state – and is modeled after other successful programs. Mandatory mediation can help people stay in their homes – which is better for everyone involved. Two open houses will be held in Sussex County on January 31 – from noon to 2pm at the County West Complex on Route 113 in Georgetown and from 6 to 8pm at the GW Carver Education Center on Frankford School Road in Frankford.

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DFM News: Delaware’s Bradley bills: Effective in raising voices to stop child sexual abuse?

pam — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:29:52 +0000

The spotlight on recent child sex abuse allegations at Penn State and Syracuse Universities and involving a prominent Philadelphia sports columnist may hit too close to home to some in Delaware. Very recently, in December 2009, Delawareans were coming to grips with the arrest of former pediatrician Earl Bradley for sexually molesting scores of young patients at his Lewes office. Delaware’s response was quick. In 2010, legislators prepared a package of bills—known collectively as the “Bradley bills”— designed to strengthen patient protection and improve oversight of the medical profession, passed those bills unanimously, and Governor Jack Markell signed them into law in June of that year. But in the year and a half since, how much of a difference have the new laws made?

Two reviews were ordered following Bradley’s arrest—one by the Attorney General’s office and another by Linda L. Ammons, dean of Widener Law School. Both revealed systemic failures that allowed Bradley to continue practicing despite numerous red flags of misconduct raised by colleagues and family members.

The “Bradley bills” were designed to tighten regulations on doctors and clarify the legal obligations of the medical and law enforcement communities to report and share information about suspected physician misconduct and child sexual abuse.

“These are sensitive cases and you need to approach them in a way that offers opportunities for victims to come forward and to feel they’re not going to run the risk of being re-victimized,” said Mike Barlow, chief legal counsel in the Office of the Governor.

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WGMD: DE AG spearheads push for Congress to reauthorize Violence Against Women Act

pam — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:51:47 +0000

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, along with Maine AG William Schneider, led a letter writing campaign among his fellow state and territorial Attorneys General for a re-authorization of the federal Violence Against Women Act. The legislation helps to keep women and families safe from violence and abuse – and a re-authorization of the program allows it to continue uninterrupted. It would also provide for the development of new initiatives to strengthen prevention & intervention programs, improve the response to sexual assault and prevent domestic violence homicides.

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WDEL: AG Biden on board with Cordray recess appointment

pam — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:51:30 +0000

Delaware’s Attorney General likes President Obama’s recess appointment of Richard Cordray as head of the new federal Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

Democrat Beau Biden tells WDEL News the agency will help Americans facing foreclosure and needing answers.

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Dover Post: Foreclosures taper as banks catch up; sheriff sales on rise

pam — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:34:47 +0000

The issue While foreclosure numbers have started to decline nationwide, Delaware homeowners are witnessing firsthand that the mortgage crisis remains in full effect. Each of Delaware’s three county sheriffs are reporting an increase in sheriff sales for 2011, with a majority of those properties being mortgage sales.

Both New Castle and Sussex counties saw an increase of more than 400 sales in 2011 compared to the previous year, and Kent County’s sales has nearly quadrupled since 2010.

New Castle County Sheriff Trinidad Navarro said it is often hard to predict how many sheriff sales the county will process year to year.

“We make projections based on historic numbers, but the numbers now are unprecedented,” he said. “The reality is there’s still no end in sight.”

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