WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - Financial institutions that received government bailout funds have paid the U.S. Treasury $6.7 billion in preferred stock dividends through the end of June, a Government Accountability Office official said in prepared testimony released on Wednesday.
Gary Engel, GAO director of financial management and assurance, also said 17 participants in the Troubled Asset Relief Program had not declared or paid dividends to the government totaling about $6.6 million from the program's inception last October through the end of June.
His written testimony for a hearing on TARP before the House Financial Services Committee scheduled for Thursday was posted on the panel's website on Wednesday.

(Reporting by David Lawder) Keywords: FINANCIAL/BAILOUT DIVIDENDS (david.lawder@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: david.lawder.reuters.com@reuters.net; +1-202-898-8395)

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