The bigger non-financial question, as the Inside Job (2010 documentary) claims, is that this expert witness ecosystem is a conflict of interest for academic exp

The bigger non-financial question, as the Inside Job (2010 documentary) claims, is that this expert witness ecosystem is a conflict of interest for academic experts. If I am a real estate economist, and an investment bank wanted to hire me to testify that the mortgage-backed securities bubble wasn't the result of negligent behavior, wouldn't I be inclined to publish papers to that effect? Naturally I'd also leave my engagements with those banks off my CV.