The stimulus contains a provision clarifying that new rules prohibiting excessive compensation, "shall not be construed to prohibit any bonus payment required to be paid pursuant to a written employment contract executed on or before February 11, 2009."  This language permitted AIG to carry out a plan, which the New York Times reports was negotiated in November 2008, to pay $165 million in retention bonuses to various top officials – some of which are credited with causing the company’s collapse.  Recently, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus admitted, "Frankly it was such a rush -- we're talking about the stimulus bill now -- to get it passed, I didn't have time and other conferees didn't have time to address many of the provisions that were modified significantly."  At present, it is unclear who, or even which branch of government, is responsible for the loophole.  However, it is obvious that rushing this massive spending bill through Congress resulted in a major oversight and a disgraceful waste of taxpayer dollars.