Rep. Todd Russ is working for state treasurer on his expertise as a banker however underneath his management, a tiny financial institution in a small western Oklahoma city ran afoul of regulators for investing in troubled mortgages. 

Russ, R-Cordell, was president and CEO of Washita State Financial institution in Burns Flat from 2004 till he took a buyout in the summertime of 2008. The state treasurer is answerable for overseeing the state’s banking, funding and money administration. Russ has pointed to his profession in banking for instance of why Oklahomans ought to belief him for the job. 

“I used to be a financial institution president and CEO and managed a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars} in bonds and to be the State Treasurer you actually are the state’s financial institution CEO,” Russ mentioned in an interview with The Frontier in March.

However underneath Russ’ management, Washita State Financial institution closely invested in mortgages tied to actual property in elements of the nation that skilled important declines in house values throughout the Nice Recession. The Federal Deposit Insurance coverage Fee later accused Washita State Financial institution of partaking in “unsafe and unsound banking practices.”

In 2007, Washita State Financial institution used $54 million in borrowed funds from one other lender in Kansas to finance its funding within the mortgages. The transfer uncovered the Burns Flat financial institution to extra threat. 

In line with an enforcement motion the FDIC filed in November 2009, the mortgages Washita State Financial institution invested in had excessive charges of default and a few of the loans the financial institution invested in lacked sufficient documentation. 

Financial institution examiners discovered that as of September 2008, a big and rising chunk of Washita State Financial institution’s property consisted of impaired loans, in line with the enforcement motion. Regulators discovered that the financial institution was considerably undercapitalized, jeopardizing its deposits. 

In an interview with The Frontier on Tuesday, Russ mentioned Washita State Financial institution was worthwhile underneath his management. However the FDIC couldn’t “get their head round” a few of the dangers the financial institution took, he mentioned. 

“We had the very best return on investments to the shareholders ever within the historical past of the financial institution and we by no means misplaced in earnings once I had management of the financial institution,” Russ mentioned. “However once you’re working an aggressive, high-performing financial institution and managing the portfolio, the regulators are very antsy, and so they’re very watchful over that, however that’s not a nasty factor.”

Throughout his time as CEO, Russ mentioned the financial institution “by no means misplaced a penny” of depositor’s cash and was in a position to give its shareholders the perfect return on their funding.

However regulators noticed it in a different way.

“The financial institution continues to have interaction in unsafe and unsound practices by working with administration who insurance policies and practices are detrimental to the Financial institution and jeopardize the protection of the Financial institution’s deposits,” the FDIC claimed within the motion.

Regulators additionally discovered that Washita State Financial institution had “insufficient administration” in 2008 and 2009, in line with the motion. 

The FDIC declined to supply extra info on Washita State Financial institution, and mentioned it doesn’t touch upon “open and working deposit institutes.”

A consultant for Washita State Financial institution additionally declined to remark.

Washita State financial institution entered into an settlement with state and federal regulators in 2010  that required it to boost capital and take different steps to strengthen its monetary well being. The order was terminated in 2017, which generally signifies that the financial institution met all or many of the circumstances. 

Russ’s opponent for the Republican nomination is former state Sen Clark Jolley who on Monday started working unfavourable tv advertisements in opposition to Russ on his financial institution’s previous troubles with the FDIC. 

Jolley and Russ will compete for the Republican nomination to be the following state treasurer on Aug. 23. The winner will face Democrat Charles De Coune and Libertarian Greg Sadler within the November basic election.