New York Fed Chairman Steps Down

Although he went down insisting that his relationship to Goldman Sachs had been “mischaracterized,” New York Federal Reserve Chairman Stephen Friedman resigned on Thursday after The Wall Street Journal, with a boost from Truthdig, brought up the issue of a potential conflict of interest earlier this week.

USA Today:

In a letter to Fed officials, Friedman said, “Today, although I have been in compliance with the rules, my public service motivated continuation on the Reserve Bank Board is being mischaracterized as improper. The Federal Reserve System has important work to do and does not need this distraction.”

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal raised questions about the influence of Goldman Sachs, whose board Friedman sat on, in shaping Washington’s response to the financial crisis.

Read more