Congress has stepped up its investigation into allegations of mismanagement at the National Credit Union Administration.
In a letter sent this month to NCUA Chairman Norman E. D'Amours, Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., requested reams of documents ranging from the minutes of all agency board meetings since Jan. 1, 1994, to any paperwork relating to surveillance of board members.
A staff member of the House Banking general oversight and investigations subcommittee, which Rep. Bachus heads, said that the NCUA has agreed to provide the requested information by June 5.
Rep. Bachus' request came in response to allegations made by a former board member, Robert Swan, who accused Mr. D'Amours and NCUA executive director Karl Hoyle of, among other things, withholding information from the directors and having the agency's staff enforce new policies without board approval.
Mr. Swan - who is suing President Clinton to reverse his recent ouster from the board, claiming that the administration lacks authority to remove board members of independent agencies - laid out his allegations at a May 1 hearing of Rep. Bachus' panel.
The White House discharged Mr. Swan - whose board term had expired in August - although the Senate had not yet confirmed banking lawyer Yolanda T. Wheat as his successor. It used a so-called recess appointment to install her in the post in early April while the Senate was not in session.
Rep. Bachus, whose subcommittee is charged with overseeing the banking, thrift, and credit union regulators, will decide on his next step after his staff combs through the papers, the staff member said.
"We will base deciding on whether we hold a new hearing on what we find in these documents, but we certainly anticipate getting D'Amours before the committee," the staff member said.
Rep. Bachus' May 8 letter also requested documentation of Mr. Swan's allegation that Mr. D'Amours controlled the board's agenda, a claim that is "of primary concern" to Rep. Bachus, the staff member said.
In addition, the lawmaker asked for "all logs, appointment books, calendars, notes, memoranda, and any other documents" pertaining to the April 12 appointment of Ms. Wheat.
NCUA officials were unavailable for comment. Mr. D'Amours has steadfastly denied all of Mr. Swan's allegations.
