By: Michael Maiello

In an exchange with the Web site TPMMuckraker, Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) told journalists Zachary Roth and Elana Schor that "my instinct would be to release," copies of contracts that companies signed in order to receive federal money under the Trouble Asset Relief Program.  So far, Levin is holding onto the documents until his lawyer decides whether or not there would be legal ramifications should he make them public.

It's not clear what Levin is expected to protect, though.  Is the TARP classified?  Certainly some of the companies who have received TARP money have trade secrets that they want to protect but it's a long-held notion that companies give up some rights to guard trade secrets when they want to collect money from bond investors, stock investors or taxpayers.

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