Talk:Stephen Calk

Requested move 20 June 2018

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the move request was: procedural close––not a move request, since both pages are articles at this time. A merge discussion can proceed outside of this process, or it could be performed boldly based on the comments below. Dekimasu よ! 06:11, 27 June 2018 (UTC)

Stephen Calk → Steve Calk – I don't know why someone created this page just 4 days after someone started the same article at Steve Calk. Technically this page has more information, but the other page was created first. I don't know - I'll wait for a consensus. Unreal7 (talk) 10:45, 20 June 2018 (UTC)
 * Merge the name is 50/50 so either way. In ictu oculi (talk) 13:51, 20 June 2018 (UTC)
 * Merge - take it to WP:Proposed mergers per above. I'm neutral on which name it should take though. Paintspot Infez (talk) 02:52, 21 June 2018 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

Middle initial?
The NYT is consistently reporting his name as "Stephen M. Calk." Maybe this page should be renamed, as well as merged with the "Steve Calk" page? I'm afraid I don't know how to do either... Rider1819 (talk) 21:41, 7 August 2018 (UTC)


 * Rider1819, Steve Calk is the common name. I have tagged the articles accordingly. Also continuing the process started above. gidonb (talk) 13:46, 12 August 2018 (UTC)


 * Agreed. I noticed the other day that WaPo is using "Steve Calk" consistently. Rider1819 (talk) 15:01, 12 August 2018 (UTC)


 * In the end, consensus was to move to Stephen Calk. Adding a link here so folks can find the discussion: Talk:Steve Calk. gidonb (talk) 13:28, 16 August 2018 (UTC)

Question re RS
Can this be used in the article? Thanks. Gandydancer (talk) 20:56, 17 August 2018 (UTC)

Stephen Calk copy & pasted an entire Wikipedia passage into his resume
Hello! I'm an old lady and one who's not very good with computers, but I thought I'd try posting here. Mr. Calk plagiarized a section from Wikipedia on his resume. I'm not sure if this meets the standard required to be included in his bio, but here is a link. She discusses it starting at 15:38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-n2LOG4Nc Apparently this plagiarized section aroused Rachel & staff's suspicion as it was the only section that wasn't riddled with spelling, grammar and syntax errors! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.237.146.216 (talk) 23:47, 14 February 2019 (UTC)
 * It's a rather small detail and not useful for the biography, however, you are welcome to mention it on the TALK page of the article from where the information was copied! gidonb (talk) 01:22, 27 May 2019 (UTC)
 * LOL, I remember reading that at the time so it must have been a link from this article. I remember thinking that the swamp draining did not seem to be going very well.  BTW granny, from one granny without much computer know-how to another, if you can manage to make that talk page edit you just did you can manage to do some main page edits as well. Gandydancer (talk) 12:50, 1 June 2019 (UTC)

Ongoing Federal Trial
Calk is currently on trial for bribery in a federal court. It is alleged that he used his position at Federal Savings Bank to extend risky loans to Trump associate Paul Manafort, also embroiled in criminal charges but later pardoned, in exchange for Manafort's promoting him for several high-level positions (Cabinet and prominent ambassadorships) in the Trump Administration (which Calk never received). Calk denies these allegations.

I am unable to edit the page, but I believe it should be edited to reflect these developments. I have included a few references above, but more could easily be found by another editor. TransientBovine (talk) 15:31, 25 June 2021 (UTC)

"Neat trick"
This article, as currently written, combines shameless log-rolling (self-promotion), artless writing, repetition, and most importantly a major omission.

Although the editors who put this together twice point out the "neat trick" that Calk supposedly engineered of being subsidized by the City of Chicago, perhaps the neatest trick is that this article fails to mention he is on trial for a bribe scheme in which he was looking for a position in the Trump Administration in exchange for a loan to Manafort (for which the latter was convicted, then pardoned) that resulted in a major loss to his bank. Frankly, this his involvement with Trump's disgraced campaign manager is the ONLY thing that most of those who ever heard of him knows about. AnthroMimus (talk) 14:03, 26 June 2021 (UTC)

The “neat trick” thing jumped out at me too as it’s not encyclopedic writing. This article is at least partly plagiarized from https://www.americanbanker.com/news/bank-ceos-fire-and-rehire-maneuver-reaps-windfall-at-taxpayer-expense. 73.219.103.208 (talk) 02:15, 14 July 2021 (UTC)burgo

Minor Note for AnthroMimus, other readers/editors
I agree that  Manafort's Calk's ongoing trial should be mentioned, and there may certainly be bias in the article (as evidenced by the disclaimer/warning on it), although I myself am unqualified to judge this (I also only know of Calk for his trial). While I can see why you believe the Loans to Paul Manafort section is flawed/potentially biased (in my opinion: writing style somewhat informal/narrative, does not organize information well) and certainly agree to some extent, the "Loans to Paul Manafort" section is a restored version of something presumably written before Manafort's Calk's trial (it only mentions events from 2018 and before and only uses sources from that period). Therefore, omission is due to Manafort's Calk's trial coming after the time of writing, not due to any bias. The only edits to the page since Manafort's Calk's trial, which seems to have been reported in the news around early June 2021, regard the aforementioned restoration (a choice I find merited, since it is relevant to current events). While Manafort's Calk's trial should certainly be discussed, and this page's flaws rectified, I believe this specific instance is not a result of bias, but rather of chronology. TransientBovine (talk) 20:27, 27 June 2021 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the comments, TransientBovine. Let me just make two points. First, it is not that he is mentioned or even a witness in "Manafort's trial." Rather, he himself is on criminal trial for federal felonies as a result of his relationship to Paul Manfort. It seems to me that deserves more than a mention. The second point I would make is that the evidence of bias can be seen in the stuff that precedes the Manafort loan section. Aside from the duplication of laudatory characterizations of his actions (e.g., the "neat trick" references), there is stuff that is not only not important but also would only be known by Calk himself or his associates. Take for example the mention that he is a member of the Harvard Club of New York. Far from being something that normally belongs in an encyclopedic article, the club is simply a private dining club/meeting place (that offers overnight accommodations for members) unconnected to the university. Only someone trying to puff his credentials would include that. But that is just one example. I'm not trying prove that the article is biased, I'm just saying as a piece f writing, and one supposedly of encyclopedic value, it's a mess, and should be re-written, perhaps after we see what happens in his trial. AnthroMimus (talk) 16:07, 28 June 2021 (UTC)
 * Sorry, AnthroMimus--I meant Calk's trial. I must have defaulted to Manafort's name out of familiarity. You are absolutely correct on the first point, and I apologize for my mistake. On the second point, you seem knowledgeable and I agree with you. I withheld judgment on most of the article because I lack/lacked the subject matter knowledge necessary to form an educated opinion. Overall, despite a few errors in communication (sorry), I think we both agree that the writing of this article would benefit from revision and that information on Calk's ongoing trial should be added, either now or when concrete decisions can be reported. TransientBovine (talk) 16:59, 29 June 2021 (UTC)

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 17 May 2022
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/bank-ceo-stephen-m-calk-sentenced-one-year-and-one-day-corruptly-soliciting Stephen M. Calk was subsequently sentenced to one year and one day for corruptly soliciting a presidential administration position in exchange for approving $16 million in loans.

To conceal the unlawful nature of his scheme, CALK made false and misleading statements to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency regarding the loans to Manafort. For example, CALK falsely stated to the OCC regulators that he had not known that the Manafort’s properties had been in foreclosure prior to issuing the loans. CALK also stated that he had never desired a position in the presidential administration.

In addition to the prison term, CALK, 56, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and 800 hours of community service. CALK was also ordered to pay a $1 million fine on Count 1 and a $250,000 fine on Count 2. 97.115.123.159 (talk) 01:46, 17 May 2022 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. — Sirdog (talk) 04:59, 21 May 2022 (UTC)