I'd thought it strange, after the financial crisis, in which Goldman had played such an important role, that the only Goldman Sachs employee who had been charged with any sort of crime was the employee who had taken something from Goldman Sachs. I'd thought it even stranger that government prosecutors had argued that the Russian shouldn't be freed on bail because the Goldman Sachs computer code, in the wrong hands, could be used to manipulate markets in unfair ways.
The quote highlights the author's concern regarding the accountability of major financial institutions like Goldman Sachs following the financial crisis. While the firm was central to the crisis, only a minor employee faced criminal charges, raising questions about justice and accountability. It suggests a disparity in who is penalized for misconduct within large organizations.
The author's observation also points to an alarming aspect of regulatory practices, where the focus seems to be on protecting proprietary information over prosecuting serious financial misdeeds. The idea that market manipulation could arise from a single individual's actions emphasizes the potential dangers posed by powerful entities in the finance sector, raising concerns about fairness and ethics in financial markets.
