Rep. Issa: Four in Congress Received VIP Loans from Countrywide Financial

Four sitting House members received loans as part of Countrywide Financial’s notorious VIP (very important person) program, according to California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Politico reports.

Issa disclosed the allegation in a letter he sent Friday to Reps. Jo Bonner, R-Ala., and Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., the chairman and ranking member of the House Ethics Committee.

“Documents reviewed by the committee show that four current members of the U.S. House of Representatives received loans through this VIP program,” Issa wrote. “In accordance with this committee’s policy to forward information relating to possible wrongdoing by members of Congress to the appropriate ethics committee, I write to bring the existence of these loans to your attention.”

Issa didn’t name the four, but Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., has acknowledged receiving two loans through the VIP program.