Ken Lewis: "Merrill Decision Made Independent From Government Influence"

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Jigga what? Is Ken even trying to make his stories match up or just saying fuck it, let's have some fun? We knew the Boone's would be flowing freely today but we didn't realize how hard and how early. This guy said it best: "Lewis is drunker than a Japanese Finance Minister right now."
Update: Okay, this is even better than we could've imagined. Apparently after telling a shareholder that the bank's decision on Merrill was "independent of any government threat," he added, "you have your facts wrong." You know, facts based on testimony Lewisgave to Andrew Cuomo. We will now be setting the under over on how long before someone holds up a picture of Hank Paulson and asks if Lewis recognizes him, to which Lewis will respond, "I've never seen that man in my life," at two hours. And taking the under.
Earlier: Live-Blogging Bank Of America's Annual Shareholder Meeting

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No One Told Ken Lewis Shareholders Needed To Know About Merrill's Massive Losses, Okay?

Remember in 2008, when Ken Lewis was all, “Oooh, wait, I don’t know about this Merrill Lynch thing, it looks kinda bad, I don’t think I want to buy it anymore, I’m nervous [bites nails, shifts weight from one foot to the other like he has to pee]” and tried to back out of the deal? And Hank Paulson threatened to stuff him in a meat locker if he did so Lewis said okay, fine, I’ll buy it and then did, without mentioning anything to shareholders about Merrill's impending losses? Well 1) People are still upset about it but 2) Ken was under the impression shareholders were on a need to know basis. Top executives at Bank of America Corp did not tell shareholders just prior to a 2008 vote on its purchase of Merrill Lynch & Co that losses were mounting and expected to weigh down earnings for years, papers filed in private shareholder litigation show. But the bank and former Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis said in their own court papers that they should not be liable to shareholders who claimed to have lacked information they needed to vote on the once $50 billion merger. Lewis also said he had been advised by the bank's law firm and chief financial officer that no disclosure was necessary. No further questions. BofA masked Merrill loss before 2008 vote: filings [Reuters]