Agency at Forefront of Mortgage Crisis Making a Comeback

Just a few months ago, after the failures of Washington Mutual and IndyMac Bancorp shook the financial world, industry consultant Bert Ely would have bet it was time to shut down the Office of Thrift Supervision. The government regulator doesn’t exactly have a track record to brag about: It’s at the forefront of the most severe housing market meltdown in a generation. The government last year seized three of the largest institutions it regulates. It oversaw Washington Mutual, by far the largest bank failure in American history. Officials on both sides of the political aisle, from Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to regulatory experts, want to see it disbanded.