By James Drew, October 19, 2021

SLEHCRA and two other groups, the Woodstock Institute and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, submitted letters Monday opposing the merger to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

In addition to urging regulators to reject the deal, the groups are requesting an investigation of First Mid Bank & Trust’s lending practices under federal fair lending laws by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Department of Justice.