Lack of scrutiny for Geithner aides

Aides to the US treasury secretary who each earned large pay packets working for some of the country's largest investment companies have been advising the administration on its regulatory policy, despite never having faced senate confirmation. None of the aides to Timothy Geithner have faced the public scrutiny given to senate-confirmed appointees, despite earning massive sums from Wall Street firms, nor are they required to testify in US congress to defend or explain the treasury's actions. Geithner's "kitchen cabinet" has helped oversee the nation's $700bn banking rescue, as well as helping to draw up executive pay rules and revamp financial regulations. According to financial disclosure forms obtained by the Bloomberg news agency, advisers including Lee Sachs, from Mariner Investment Group, and Gene Sperling, from Goldman Sachs, earned hundreds of thousands of dollars last year.