Deval Patrick leaves Ameriquest

Deval Patrick Finally Leaves Board of Scandal Ridden Mortgage Company Which is Notorious for Victimizing Blacks, Women and Immigrants
	Gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick announced his resignation from the board of Ameriquest, the mortgage company that Atty. General Tom Reilly just successfully prosecuted in a multi-state class action suit for a settlement of $325 million. Patrick had been on the board since 2004. Ameriquest has specialized in financing those with previous credit problems. According to one suit brought against it, the victims of Ameriquest disproportionately tended to be minorities, women, and immigrants.
It is considered ironic by many, since Deval Patrick, who is black himself, has worked with the NAACP in the past, as well as the Legal Aid Bureau, which provided legal assistance to individuals in a similar demographic. Ameriquest has been staving off accusations all over the country about “predatory” lending practices that have saddled homeowners, particularly those with sub-par credit, with unreasonable interest rates and contracts that have unfairly resulted in the lender foreclosing on numerous properties. Massachusetts is one of six states in the latest suit against the company. Deval Patrick himself was involved in trying to reach a settlement with the various state Attorney Generals that were suing Ameriquest. In a press release yesterday, Atty. General Tom Reilly, who is facing off against Patrick in the Democratic primary for Governor said: "One of the major differences between Deval Patrick and me comes down to one word - Ameriquest. While I fought them and helped get millions of dollars back for Massachusetts residents who were scammed by this predatory company, he was on their payroll.”