The latest FEC reports show that certain companies are afraid of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and gave over $250,000 last month to Mitt Romney's "Restore Our Future" SuperPAC.
The contributors? Payday loan and check cashing stores, who will gladly give you $200 today for your $250 paycheck next week - rates that would make Tony Soprano blush.
This USA Today article has the specifics, including the throwing around of money by Georgia car title loan mogul Rod Aycox.
Aycox himself gave $100,000, on top of a business contribution of $100,000 in January and a donation of $100,000 by the Rod and Leslie Aycox Foundation, which was returned by Romney's SuperPAC because the contribution violated IRS rules for donations by 501(c)(3) organizations.
As a bankruptcy attorney, I see clients frequently who are victimized by these loan sharks. While certain states, such as my home state of Oregon put interest rate caps on short-term loans, desperate borrowers went over to Washington, which didn't put interest rate caps on payday loans, or online, where payday lenders attempt to dodge state usury laws.
I'm wondering whether the "job-killing regulations" Mitt Romney was talking about were those like the Oregon 36% short-term interest rate limit, and whether the comment was directed at his intent to demolish CFPB and unleash the elites, er, his base on the populace.