McClatchy Washington Bureau

Saying he's outraged that thousands of people with criminal histories were allowed to peddle home loans in Florida, Attorney General Bill McCollum called for an investigation into the state agency overseeing the mortgage industry.

The attorney general said Monday he wants the state to review the licensing practices of the Office of Financial Regulation and look for ways to stop former criminals from jumping into the mortgage business.

''It is disturbing that ex-felons obtain licenses in positions of trust, then turn around and breach that trust,'' McCollum wrote in a letter to top state leaders Monday. "We should find a way to stop this practice.''

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