Why The Dodd Silence?

The chorus keeps growing for Senator Dodd to release documents related to his mortgage deal with Countrywide. To recap – he says he didn’t ask for or expect a sweetheart mortgage deal with Countrywide although he admits he got special treatment. He says there’s no story but won’t release the related documents until his peers (Senate ethics committee) gets done with its investigation.

Now from today’s Hartford Courant:

Former loan officer Robert Feinberg, who first spoke to Portfolio magazine about the VIP deal last summer, told me Monday that Dodd "absolutely" knew he was getting special treatment from Countrywide.

"A senator becomes a high priority," Feinberg said. "He got the best of everything."

Dodd has called the red carpet treatment "a courtesy," adding that "no one ever said to us you’re going to get some special treatment."

Seems to contradict Senator Dodd. Let’s face it, he probably didn’t have to ask, but to say he didn’t expect it doesn’t ring true.

Even if we believe he didn’t know that he got special treatment because he was a U.S. senator, do we really want a guy that out of it as chairman of the banking committee? Out of it in regards to his personal business and out of it in regards to conflict of interest when doing business with a company his committee oversees.

The need to come clean about his dealings is so obvious it seems everyone is calling for it. Even the normally Dodd friendly NY Times editorialized against Dodd:

The senator has failed to keep his promise, and his excuses are wearing ridiculously thin.

There also a chorus of other papers chiming in for the release of the documents.

So what are the reasons he doesn’t want to release them. Afraid of getting the same jail cell as former Governor Roland? Afraid of a pre-election scandal that could hurt democrats? Trying to string things out until his term is up? It will prove he’s not corrupt, just plain stupid?

Tags: chris dodd