Citigroup paying $75M to settle charges of misleading investors over high-risk mortgages

Citigroup paying $75M to settle civil charges

WASHINGTON — Banking titan Citigroup Inc. is paying $75 million to settle civil charges that it misled investors about its potential losses from subprime mortgages as the housing bust hit in 2007.

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced the settlement with Citigroup on Thursday. It said the company repeatedly made misleading statements in calls with analysts and regulatory filings about the extent of its holdings tied to high-risk mortgages.

Citigroup had said the exposure was $13 billion or less. The SEC said it exceeded $50 billion.

A current and a former Citi executive also settled charges with SEC. Former Chief Financial Officer Gary Crittenden agreed to pay a $100,000 civil penalty. The former head of investor relations, Arthur Tildesley Jr., agreed to pay $80,000. Tildesley now is the head of cross marketing at the company.

New York-based Citigroup, Crittenden and Tildesley neither admitted nor denied the SEC’s charges. But they did agree to refrain from future violations of the securities laws.

“We are pleased that we have reached agreement with the SEC to put this matter concerning certain 2007 disclosures behind us, and that the SEC is not charging Citi or any individual with intentional or reckless misconduct,” the company said in a statement.

SEC Enforcement Director Robert Khuzami said in a statement that Citigroup boasted of its superior ability to reduce its subprime exposure, even in the fall of 2007 as the subprime mortgage market quickly weakened

“In fact, billions more in … subprime exposure sat on its books undisclosed to investors,” he said. “The rules of financial disclosure are simple — if you choose to speak, speak in full and not in half-truths.”

Citigroup, one of the hardest-hit banks during the financial crisis, received $45 billion in federal bailout money. It was one of the largest rescues by the government. Of the $45 billion, $25 billion was converted to a government ownership stake in Citi last summer. The bank repaid the other $20 billion in December.

(This version CORRECTS Corrects short headline to say civil charges.)