THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

The LA Times has a profile of one such supporter who is up for Ambassador to the Netherlands and his company.

Those who know Roland E. Arnall describe him as a down-to-earth billionaire, one who is as comfortable pitching in at an animal shelter as he is commanding his business empire.

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His fortune, an estimated $2 billion, was built refinancing homes for people unable to get traditional bank loans because of heavy debt, blemished credit or other issues. Ameriquest Mortgage Co., the company he founded more than 25 years ago, prides itself on helping these borrowers "achieve their homeownership dreams and meet their financial goals."

This same company, however, has been accused of a wide range of violations by federal and state authorities, community groups, angry customers and even former employees — including allegations that Ameriquest runs "boiler rooms" of loan agents who sock borrowers with hidden fees and higher-than-promised interest rates.

Lawsuits allege that Ameriquest agents have engaged in fraud, falsification of documents and bait-and-switch sales tactics to boost their commissions. Former Ameriquest agents have described a workplace that, despite an official policy of adhering to industry "best practices," richly rewards those who close deals by any means necessary.

But he was only the Chairman and principal owner.

Arnall is by at least one account highly knowledgeable about his firm's operations, but Ameriquest contends that any violations have been the work of rogue employees operating in defiance of company policy — and that Arnall and his top executives are committed to rooting out problems when they find them.

Critics, however, say that Arnall, as founder, chairman and principal owner of parent company Ameriquest Capital Corp., must share some blame for the run-ins with regulators, which date back nearly a decade.

"He may be a very compassionate person, but the head of a company must ultimately take responsibility for a pattern and practice like this, especially when it's repeated," said Robert Gnaizda, policy director at the Greenlining Institute in Berkeley, which lobbies on behalf of low-income communities.

Those dastardly rogue employees! How can they do this to a man who loves animals?