On the basis of his experience as the former vice president and senior loan officer of Broadway Bank, Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias wants to fill Barack Obama’s old Senate seat. The Democratic nominee recently told reporters he would even like to serve on the Senate Banking Committee if elected.

That’s a lofty goal for someone whose family bank is likely to collapse within days, and in no small part because of a risky lending strategy that he admits he helped create.