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Steven J. Baum: History’s Greatest Monster

Joe Nocera has the photographic proof of the quality of character possessed by a lawyer who’s getting rich from foreclosing on people’s homes. [A] former employee of Steven J. Baum recently sent me snapshots of last year’s party. In an e-mail, she said that she wanted me to see them because they showed an appalling […]

Joe Nocera has the photographic proof of the quality of character possessed by a lawyer who’s getting rich from foreclosing on people’s homes.

[A] former employee of Steven J. Baum recently sent me snapshots of last year’s party. In an e-mail, she said that she wanted me to see them because they showed an appalling lack of compassion toward the homeowners — invariably poor and down on their luck — that the Baum firm had brought foreclosure proceedings against.

When we spoke later, she added that the snapshots are an accurate representation of the firm’s mind-set. “There is this really cavalier attitude,” she said. “It doesn’t matter that people are going to lose their homes.” Nor does the firm try to help people get mortgage modifications; the pressure, always, is to foreclose. I told her I wanted to post the photos on The Times’s Web site so that readers could see them. She agreed, but asked to remain anonymous because she said she fears retaliation.

Bless Joe Nocera. It’s the opportunity to shine that kind of harsh light on that kind of scoundrel that makes journalism worthwhile.

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