DOJ Tells Senate Panel Fair Lending is a Top Priority

Enforcement of fair lending laws is a "top priority" of the Justice Department, a top DOJ official told a Senate panel on Tuesday. Assistant attorney general Thomas Perez noted that the agency's civil rights division is working on 39 lending discrimination cases -- 29 of which were referred to DOJ by the federal banking regulators. In the Obama Administration, the civil rights division formed a special Fair Lending Unit, appointing Eric Halperin, a former chief litigator for the Center for Responsible Lending, to head the effort. In March, DOJ reached a $6 million settlement with American International Group to settle allegations that AIG allowed mortgage brokers to charge African Americans "excessive fees" on home mortgages. Mr. Perez testified that this "landmark case" sends a "clear signal to lenders that they must take steps to ensure that brokers with whom they partner do not engage in discrimination."