§ 5-17-8.1 — Investigatory and Enforcement Powers of Administrator, Board, Designee, Etc

(a) The administrator or the administrator’s designee, in consultation with the agency’s legal counsel acting under the administrator, may administer oaths and may examine under oath any person whose testimony may be required on the examination of any credit union, or the examination of any affiliate of a credit union, and shall have authority and power to compel the appearance and attendance of any such person or the production of any records and documents of any credit union or any affiliate of a credit union for the purpose of any examination. Attendance or production may be enforced by order of the Circuit Court, 15th Judicial District. The production of records, documents, or testimony, whether or not made under oath, by a credit union or by any of its directors, officers, employees, advisors, consultants, attorneys, or accountants made for, and at the request of, the administrator upon examination of the credit union, does not constitute a waiver of any attorney-client privilege or other privilege that the credit union or any director, officer, employee, advisor, consultant, attorney, or accountant thereof is entitled to under law in any unrelated matter or proceeding.
(b) Any officer, director, agent, or employee of any credit union, any affiliate of a credit union, or any affected person, whether one or more, who (1) makes any false entry or omission with intent to mislead in any book, report, or statement of the credit union or affiliate of the credit union, or (2) makes a false statement, whether or not made under oath, to the administrator, an examiner or designee acting under the administrator, or to any officer of such credit union or affiliate of any credit union with intent to injure or defraud the administrator, examiner, designee, officer, credit union, or affiliate, or with the intent to influence in any way the action of the administrator or an examiner or designee acting under the administrator, shall be subject to removal and the imposition of civil money penalties by the administrator when so directed by the Credit Union Board as provided in this title. At the discretion of the administrator, an order of removal may prohibit the affected person from participating in the affairs of any state credit union. Any action of the administrator or designee acting under the administrator taken in reliance upon such false entry, omission, or statement may be rescinded and withdrawn at the discretion of the administrator. These remedies are in addition to the penalties set forth in Sections 5-17-29 to 5-17-32, inclusive.
(c) In taking an action to prohibit participation by, remove, or impose civil money penalties upon, any officer, director, or employee of any credit union or any affiliate of a credit union under this section, the administrator and Credit Union Board shall not be required to establish that the credit union or the affiliate of the credit union suffered or probably will suffer financial loss and shall not be required to establish that the administrator, examiner, or designee acting under the administrator was influenced by such false entry, omission, or statement.
(d) The resignation, termination of employment or participation, or separation of any director, officer, or employee of a credit union for any reason whatsoever shall not affect the jurisdiction and authority of the administrator or the Credit Union Board to issue any notice or order and proceed under this title against any such person, if the notice or order is served before the end of the six-year period beginning on the last date that the person ceased to be a director, officer, or employee of the credit union.
(e) If the directors or officers of any credit union unreasonably or willfully violate, or unreasonably or willfully permit any of the officers, agents, or employees of the credit union to violate any of the provisions of this title, each and every director or officer engaging in such knowing and willful violation or knowing and willful permission shall be liable in his or her personal and individual capacity for all damages that the credit union or any other person sustained in consequence of the violation. The administrator may use enforcement powers to seek restitution for or on behalf of the credit union for damages resulting from such violations. Further, the administrator shall have standing to intervene in any court action arising out of or relating to such violation in order to protect the interests of the administrator, examiners, administrator’s designee or designees, the agency, the credit union, or its members.

Legislative History

(Act 2016-133, §2.)