Political Influence and TARP Investments in Credit Unions

Forty-eight credit unions received capital injections as part of the financial sector bailout. The predicted probability of receiving bailout funds jumps from 29 percent to 81 percent for the typical credit union, if the institution's headquarters was in the district of a member of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee (HFS). The credit unions receiving funds were significantly less likely to lend, contrary to the goals of the program. These results indicate that political influence may be an important determinant of which institutions receive taxpayer funds