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For Immediate Release
Contact:

Jennifer Tong, Policy and Communications Director
jennifer@jubileeusa.org / (m) (320) 241-7082 / (o) (202) 783-3566 x101

EU Fines Financial Instituitions $2.3bn Over Manipulation of LIBOR, One of Largest Banking Scandals of Our Time

LIBOR Rigging Hurt Global Poor; Religious Community Responds

WASHINGTON

The European Union fined eight financial institutions a combined total of $2.3 billion over their alleged role in the manipulation the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). The manipulation of LIBOR is one of the largest banking scandals of our time. According to the Economist, when the rate is manipulated, it affects payments for more than $800 trillion of financial instruments and 99 percent of all commercial products including mortgages, credit cards and pensions, as reported by CNN. Five other financial institutions, including Barclays, R.B.S. and UBS, have paid more than $3 billion combined to regulators in the United States, Britain and Switzerland over the manipulation of the LIBOR rate.

Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA Network, a faith-based antipoverty organization, releases the following statement:

"These fines are a step in the right direction. This behavior hurts all of us and destroys the fabric on our economy.

"The religious community is concerned with how this manipulative behavior impacts the most vulnerable."

Jubilee USA Network is an interfaith, non-profit alliance of religious, development and advocacy organizations. We are 75 U.S. institutions and more than 750 faith groups working across the United States and around the globe. We address the structural causes of poverty and inequality in our communities and countries around the world.

(202) 783-3566