SOUTH BRONX, March 22 – Capital One has applied to buy Discover, in an anticompetitive deal that should be rejected by regulators if they mean what they have been saying. While they applied late March 20, as of 1 pm on March 22 there was no notice of the Federal Reserve's or OCC's websites. Inner City Press submitted second FOIA requests to each agency. Public hearings should be held, not only on antitrust but also lending disparities at both companies.
On February 20 Capital One CEO Rich Fairbanks bragged about communications he's had with the regulators, then referred to "customary regulatory approvals." Inner City Press immediately submitted Freedom of Information Act requests to the Federal Reserve and OCC for all such communications. Both agencies confirmed receipt.
But still no records as of March 22, so this:
This is a FOIA request for the entirety of Capital One's applications for regulatory approval of its Discover proposal, including all portions for which Capital One has requested confidential treatment, and all communications by your agency with the banks since February 19. As of March 22 at 1 am, the Fed's most recent H2A is from March 15
As documented by Fair Finance Watch, Discover Bank in 2022 denied mortgage loans application from African Americans more than twice as frequently as those of whites.
Previously, Inner City Press and NCRC challenged Capital One's acquisition of ING Direct, see here.This time, given the antitrust enforcement claims being made in DC, this proposal should be dead in the water. Watch this site.
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