We never really thought we could say this ... but TMZ just helped enrich America ... to the tune of nearly $1.6 billion.
Remember our story about Northern Trust -- the bank that took federal bailout money and then hosted a lavish golf tourney in L.A. and catered swanky dinners with live entertainment from Sheryl Crowe, Chicago and Earth, Wind &Fire? And all the ladies got Tiffany gift bags. And we got video of the whole thing....
Well Barney Frank and other members of Congress were so pissed, Northern Trust agreed to return the money. We checked every week to see if the money was returned ... nothing. Until a few weeks ago!
Northern Trust has returned $1,576,000,000 -- that's $1.576 billion returned to the government.
While Sheryl Crow posed for pics at a Sesame Street gala last night, a low-riding puppet master enjoyed a compromising view of her unsuspecting Muppet pals.
She told us nobody "gives a s**t" about TMZ, but we think Sheryl Crow might be checking out the site more than she'd like to admit -- because yesterday she whipped out one of Paris Hilton's tricks to avoid questions: The Fake Phone Call.
Sheryl Crow ... still bitter over TMZ's story about Northern Trust -- you know, the bank that hired her to play at a fancy corporate event a few weeks back. It's the same bank that got $1.6 billion in bailout money. Sheryl's point: "Nobody really gives a s**t about TMZ."
P.S. The bank was shamed into agreeing to return the $1.6 bil.
How's this for action. Northern Trust -- the bank TMZ exposed this week for throwing a series of lavish parties and concerts in L.A. -- is giving back the $1.6 billion in federal bailout money!
We had our cameras out as the bank hosted fancy dinners for hundreds of clients and employees. We had video of the Sheryl Crow concert it threw after closing down the House of Blues. And then there were concerts by Chicago, as well as Earth, Wind & Fire ... and the Tiffany gift bags for the ladies.
The story triggered a furor in D.C. ... Congressman Barney Frank demanded that Northern Trust repay the money it blew.
Outrageously, the bank didn't even ask for the bailout money in the first place. But now, under pressure, Northern Trust CEO Frederick Waddell sent a letter to members of the House Financial Services Committee, saying his bank will repay the government funds "as quickly as prudently possible."
Sheryl Crow is looking for even more money -- but this time, it ain't yours.
The same day TMZ broke the story about Northern Trust using bailout money to pay her for a private concert, Crow was in D.C., urging Congress to force radio stations to pay artists when they play their music.
We've been calling the White House for the last day, trying to get a reaction from the Prez on our story about the lavish parties Northern Trust threw in L.A. last week. We finally got a statement back -- "No comment."
Remember, this is a bank that got $1.6 billion in bailout money and blew a wad of cash paying Sheryl Crow, Chicago, and Earth, Wind & Fire. And then there were the dinners, the Tiffany gift bags, the fabulous cocktail parties -- all from the bank that laid off 450 workers in December.
Obama was under fire for a mortgage he got from Northern Trust back in 2005. Obama got a 5.625% rate, which was lower than the going rate of about 6%. The Federal Election Commission recently ruled no laws were violated and the rate was in line with other mortgages.
Sheryl Crow was in no mood to talk about her now-famous performance for the pampered peeps at Northern Trust as she landed in Washington D.C. yesterday.
Seemed like a fair subject -- Congress is in a rage after seeing our story about the millions of bucks Northern Trust blew last week on partying and golf. And speaking of rage, get a load of Sheryl's assistant.
A bank that received $1.6 billion in bailout money just spent a fortune last week in L.A. hosting a series of lavish parties and concerts with famous singers ... and TMZ cameras caught it all.
Northern Trust, a Chicago-based bank, sponsored the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club in L.A. We're told Northern Trust paid millions to sponsor the PGA event which ended Sunday, but what happenedoffthe golf course is even more shocking. Northern Trust flew hundreds of clients and employees to L.A. and put many of them up at some of the fanciest and priciest hotels in the city. We're told more than a hundred people were put up at the Beverly Wilshire in Bev Hills, and another hundred stayed at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. Still more stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey and others at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica.
Here are the highlights:
- Wednesday, Northern Trust hosted a fancy dinner at the Ritz followed by a performance by the group Chicago.
- Thursday, Northern Trust rented a private hangar at the Santa Monica Airport for dinner, followed by a performance by Earth, Wind & Fire.
- Saturday, Northern Trust had the entire House of Blues in West Hollywood shut down for its private party. We got the menu -- guests dined on seared salmon and petite Angus filet. Dinner was followed by a performance by none other than Sheryl Crow.
There was also a fabulous cocktail party at the Loews. And how's this for a nice touch: Female guests at the Chicago concert all got trinkets from ... TIFFANY AND CO. As for what all that costs: Well, the company isn't talking. We spoke with a rep from the band Chicago who said Northern Trust paid them around $100,000. A House of Blues source told us it cost more than $50,000 to close the joint down last Saturday night. As for Sheryl Crow's fee, her rep didn't get back to us. Earth, Wind & Fire acknowledges payment but won't say how much.
As for the golf tournament, a rep from the PGA told us Northern Trust wrote one big fat check in order to sponsor the event. That check covers part of the $6.3 million purse, the advertising costs for the spots on CBS (which broadcast the final two rounds of the tournament) and operating costs. The rep says the fee was negotiated and is confidential.
Lots of people from Northern Trust went to the golf tourney ... in special Mercedes that shuttled them to and from the hotels. But for those who weren't into golfing, they could spend a few hours at the Northern Trust seminar on the credit crunch.
Now how's this for outrage? Northern Trust laid off 450 workers in December, 4% of its workforce.
And here's what's absolutely amazing: The United States Government flat out gave Northern Trust the $1.6 billion in bailout money, and the bank didn't even request it!
Northern Trust gave us a statement yesterday before going total radio silence. A rep for the bank acknowledges they paid for the events, but that the bailout money did not pay for the events. He claims it was paid out of the bank's operating expenses. Here's Northern Trust's full statement to us.
Perhaps we're missing something, but money is money. How can they spend like this when they're using taxpayer's money, whether they asked for it or not? And where the hell is Congress in all of this? Is there any oversight or accountability?
Your tax dollars, hard at work. Thomas Jefferson was right -- "A little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing."
Good friends Courteney Cox, 44, Jennifer Aniston, who turns 40 next month, and Sheryl Crow, 46, were all inducted into the Cabo San Lucas Bikini Babe Club this weekend.
Jen Aniston, Orlando Bloom, Sheryl Crow, Courteney Cox, John Mayer, and Demi Moore are seriously ballin' -- and not just each other. They -- and many many other A-listers -- roll big at Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis' massive palacio, Casa Aramara in Punta Mita, Mexico. Best of all -- it's totally free. And if you were thinking about it for your next vaca - sorry. It's by personal invite only -- Joe doesn't rent this crib out.
Of course, the price these peeps pay is that everyone in the Western world knows you were there.
To hell with Lance -- Sheryl Crow has a new boo! TMZ cameras spotted the singer at Madeo last night, and when we asked her about getting her country on with her new BF, a restaurant investor from Alabama, her face lit up.
Sheryl Crow blew off a fan last night -- but not just any fan, the same one who got Crow's signature permanently tattooed on her arm. Paging Dr. Tattoff!
Also in L.A.: Marcia Cross, Dana Delaney, Ugly Betty and Mario Lopez went to Eva Longoria's 33rd birthday party at Beso, Sam Ronson left Nobu with Lindsay Lohan a mystery friend, and Tony Shalhoub hopped into his hybrid.
In NY: The always sexy Kate Beckinsale, a Carrie Underwood-less Chace Crawford partied with Mary-Kate Olsen, and Jonah Hill was surprisingly not funny.
We never really thought we could say this ... but TMZ just helped enrich America ... to the tune of nearly $1.6 billion.
How's this for action. Northern Trust -- the bank TMZ exposed this week for throwing a series of lavish parties and concerts in L.A. -- is giving back the $1.6 billion in federal bailout money!
We've been calling the White House for the last day, trying to get a reaction from the Prez on 
![Bail out Bank]](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tmz.com/media/2009/02/0223_northerntrust_collage.jpg)
