(Associated Press) The scene at a Prince William County church on a recent weeknight may have been startling to regulators and some homeowners just a few years ago: a room full of politicians, interfaith leaders and about 700 congregants rising to their feet and praising Bank of America, once reviled by some for its banking practices.
Bank of America executive Andrew Plepler, in charge of global corporate responsibility, said the bank has been a steadfast partner of Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement, a coalition of more than 40 interfaith congregations that have sought to hold banks and politicians accountable for the 2008 housing crisis.
On Monday, VOICE sought to hold executives from Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and General Electric to promises made at past meetings. But JPMorgan and GE officials were absent from St. Paul United Methodist Church in Woodbridge, where the pews were packed and the crowd was standing-room-only.
