Fitch Revises Rating on District of Columbia's Multimodal GO VRDOs, Series 2002D...
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Fitch Revises Rating on District of Columbia's Multimodal GO VRDOs, Series 2002D to 'AA+/F1+' NEW YORK--(Business Wire)-- On the effective date of Sept. 3, 2008, Fitch Ratings will raise the current 'A+' long-term rating assigned to The District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) $124,995,000 Multimodal General Obligation (GO) bonds (Variable Rate Demand Obligations; VRDOs), series 2002D to 'AA+', and will also confirm the short-term 'F1+' rating assigned to the bonds. The rating actions will be taken in connection with (1) the release of the MBIA bond insurance policy and the Bank of America, N.A. liquidity facility currently supporting the bonds, (2) the provision of substitute credit enhancement in the form of irrevocable direct-pay letter of credit (LOC), and (3) the remarketing of the bonds with the support of the LOC issued by Dexia Credit Local, acting through its New York Branch (Dexia), for the bonds. The remarketing of the bonds is scheduled to occur on Sept. 3, 2008 and at such time, the 'AA+/F1+' rating assigned to the bonds will be based on the support of the Dexia LOC. The bonds are subject to mandatory tender on Sept. 2, 2008 in connection with the substitution and remarketing. Upon remarketing, the bonds will bear interest at a weekly interest rate mode, but may be converted to a daily, flexible, auction, term or fixed interest rate mode. The LOC provides full coverage during the weekly and daily rate modes of principal, plus an amount equal to 209 days of interest computed at a maximum rate of 12%, based on a year of 365 days, and purchase price for tendered bonds. The rating will expire on the earliest to occur of: September 3, 2011, the stated expiration date of the LOC, unless such date is extended; any prior termination of the LOC; or the defeasance of the bonds. The remarketing agent for the bonds is Lehman Brothers, Inc. While the bonds bear interest in the weekly rate mode, interest payments are paid semiannually on each June 1 and December 1. During the weekly rate mode, bondholders may optionally tender their bonds on any business day, with the requisite prior notice to the trustee. The bonds are subject to mandatory tender: (1) on conversion of the interest rate mode, including conversion on any Variable Rate Conversion Date, ARS Rate Conversion Date, Flexible Rate Conversion Date and on any proposed Fixed Rate Conversion Date, all as described in the bond documents; (2) in the flexible rate, on any Repurchase Date; (3) on the business date prior to the stated expiration of the LOC; (4) on the business day preceding the substitution of the LOC; and (5) not more than 10 days following the trustee's receipt of a written notice from the LOC provider which states that either (a) the interest portion of the LOC will not be reinstated because the LOC provider has not been reimburse for a previous drawing made under the LOC, or (b) there has been an event of default under the reimbursement agreement and the interest portion of the LOC is not being reinstated. Optional and mandatory redemption provisions also apply to the bonds. Fitch's rating definitions and the terms of use of such ratings are available on the agency's public site, www.fitchratings.com. Published ratings, criteria and methodologies are available from this site, at all times. Fitch's code of conduct, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, affiliate firewall, compliance and other relevant policies and procedures are also available from the 'Code of Conduct' section of this site. Fitch Ratings, New York Steven M. Stubbs, +1-212-908-0676 Media Relations: Cindy Stoller, +1-212-908-0526 Copyright Business Wire 2008
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