The judge has ruled, per DealBook, that Merrill can’t demand that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo keep secret the names of the Merrill lynch end-of-year bonus recipients. Cuomo:
Today’s decision in the Bank of America case is a victory for taxpayers. Let the sun shine in. Justice Fried’s decision will now lift the shroud of secrecy surrounding the $3.6 billion in premature bonuses Merrill Lynch rushed out in early December. Taxpayers demand and deserve transparency and now they will finally get it. Bank of America chose litigation over transparency and we are gratified that this tactic has failed. AIG should take heed and immediately turn over the list of bonus recipients we have subpoenaed. The deadline for responding to our subpoena is tomorrow. More litigation is not the answer — it is time for AIG to come clean.
While Congress pokes and prods, and while Treasury reacts (too slowly) with anger to each happening, Cuomo and his office have the nimbleness and political will to take action and making things happen.
Liddy, your move.
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Chris Geidner is the senior political writer at D.C.'s Metro Weekly and has written for The Atlantic Online, Advocate.com, Salon and other publications, as well as at his blog, Law Dork. Prior to moving to D.C. in 2009, he served as an attorney on the senior staff at the Ohio Attorney General's Office and had earlier worked for a leading Columbus law firm. An extended biography can be found