Goldman-Occupy Battle Heats Up Over Dinner Invitation

Ask Goldman Sachs to fund an event honoring "Occupy Wall Street," and what do you get? Lost funds, nasty emails, and a fresh look at the debate raging between bankers and protesters. It all started earlier this month when a New York credit union, known for lending to the poor, listed "Occupy Wall Street" as an honoree at an anniversary dinner. Goldman Sachs quickly yanked its $5,000 pledge, refusing to celebrate protesters who hold placards like "Goldman Sachs is the work of the devil," the Wall Street Journal reports.

Members of the credit union's host committee took opposing sides, firing off heated emails, and 12 pulled out. "Let's just say the opinions were strong," says host member Mark Reed. But he sees contradictions on both sides: Protesters shouldn't call bankers "evil," he says, considering Goldman's support for charitable causes, and Goldman should be better at handling criticism. "While they may be angry at each other, they're also part of the same world with the same problems that need solving." (More Goldman Sachs stories.)