The FDIC directly supervises and examines more than 5,000 banks and savings associations for operational safety and soundness. And if you were wondering why the FDIC might have missed a few banks going south here and there it is because the FDIC runs a Wild, Wild West operation.
If you are in the mood for a trashy novel, spend no money and look no further. Just read the “Report for the Special Review Committee of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. www.fdic.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/cleary-report-to-fdic-arc.pdf.
When examiners were traveling, they frequented strip clubs. There were over 500 complaints by employees about sexual harassment, discrimination, and interpersonal conduct that prompted too many employee exits.
Worse, the enforcement strategy used for those who engaged in misconduct was “pay, promote, or move them.” Despite 92 harassment complaints, between 2015 and 2023, no one was removed and no one had their pay reduced. The most serious punishment was a suspension.
Even worse was the fear of reporting because of retaliation. The investigating law firm c set up its own hotline for employees to report misconduct. Over 900 employees spoke up to the firm. However, one employee noted, “[t]he threat of retribution and payback is real, supervisors rule by fear in the FDIC. Nobody trusts those in charge, and even though this is not getting into the hands of senior execs[,] I’m using a VPN and someone else’s cell phone to write this.” p. 4 of the report
The report found serious culture issues fueled by the leadership. The report recommends pages of changes. The one change missing was a recommendation for getting rid of the Chairman of the FDIC, Martin Greenberg. His bad behavior was well documented. Mr. Gruenberg was found to have temper problems. He was also reported to be aggressive, harsh, and prone to dressing down staff publicly. Mr. Gruenberg testified in Congress that he was never the subject of a third-party investigation.
Ah, but the law firm found that he actually was investigated in 2008 for his conduct. He had to amend his testimony. Nonetheless, the law firm heaped praise on Mr. Gruenberg, and concluded that he was not a root cause of the problems at the FDIC. The report’s outing of the “tone at the top” aside, he’s not going anywhere.
That conclusion about the FDIC chairman and the FDIC itself are going nowhere. The muddy quagmire will continue. Don’t count on crackerjack bank supervision from this crowd. They are too busy on the road and in their own building with other activities to really check FDIC deposits.