Senator: Chuck Grassley

People, Senator

Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician serving as the president pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate, and the senior United States senator from Iowa. He is in his seventh term in the Senate, having first been elected in 1980.

A member of the Republican Party, Grassley served eight terms in the Iowa House of Representatives (1959–1975) and three terms in the United States House of Representatives (1975–1981). He has served three stints as Senate Finance Committee chairman during periods of Republican Senate majority.[ Continue reading “Senator: Chuck Grassley”

Article: Watchdog Alleges Insider Trading At SEC

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Watchdog Alleges Insider Trading At SEC

Liz Moyer

Forbes, 15 May 2009

The Securities and Exchange Commission is back under fire after the agency’s own watchdog alleged suspicious trading activity and possible insider trading by two staff attorneys.

SEC Inspector General David Kotz says he’s referred his findings to the Department of Justice, which he says is investigating along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As is its standard practice, the DOJ would neither confirm nor deny they are looking into the matter.

The report, dated March 3, details a two-year investigation of two SEC enforcement staff attorneys who may have traded on non-public information or engaging in insider trading in stocks of companies under investigation by the agency.

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Article: Cox’s SEC Censors Report on Bear Stearns Collapse

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Cox’s SEC Censors Report on Bear Stearns Collapse

Mark Pittman, Elliot Blair Smith, Jesse Westbrook

Bloomberg cited by RGM Communications via Wayback, 7 October 2008

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox’s regulators stood by as shrinking capital ratios and growing subprime holdings led to the collapse of Bear Stearns Cos., according to an unedited version of a study by the agency’s inspector general.

The report, by Inspector General H. David Kotz, was requested by Senator Charles Grassley to examine the role of regulators prior to the firm’s collapse in March. Before it was released to the public on Sept. 26, Kotz deleted 136 references, many detailing SEC memos, meetings or comments, at the request of the agency’s Division of Trading and Markets that oversees investment banks.

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Article: SEC Gave “Preferential Treatment” to Wall Street CEO

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SEC Gave “Preferential Treatment” to Wall Street CEO

Brian Ross, Rhonda Schwartz

abc News, 6 October 2008

The SEC gave “preferential treatment” to Wall Street executive John Mack during an insider trading investigation three years ago because Mack was about to become CEO of the Morgan Stanley investment banking firm, the SEC’s inspector general concluded in a report obtained by ABC News.

The report recommended disciplinary action against the SEC’s chief of enforcement, Linda Thomson, and said the firing of an SEC lawyer was “connected” to his persistent attempts to take Mack’s testimony. Read the report’s conclusion and recommendations here.

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Article: SEC Will Be Investigated in Probe Sought by Senate’s Grassley

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SEC Will Be Investigated in Probe Sought by Senate’s Grassley

Otis Bilodeau

Bloomberg via Wayback, 26 October 2006

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, already under scrutiny for its handling of a trading probe that entangled Morgan Stanley Chief Executive Officer John Mack, now faces a broad review by government auditors of its management and methods for policing the financial markets.

The Government Accountability Office agreed last week to investigate the SEC’s enforcement division and compliance department after requests by Senator Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican who questioned whether the agency gave Mack special treatment. Grassley asked the GAO to examine the SEC’s “planning, oversight, control and other management processes” and gauge whether the agency does enough to oversee regulators at the New York Stock Exchange and NASD.

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Article: Hedge Hogs

Article - Media

Hedge Hogs

Liz Moyer

Forbes, 28 June 2006

So who should be overseeing the $1.2 trillion hedge fund industry? Apparently no one is now. But the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has two ideas.

Either the nation needs new legislation to tackle allegations of widespread trading abuses by the hedge funds, or law enforcement officials should simply be encouraged to do the right thing with laws they already have at their disposal?

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