Elizabeth Warren blasts Mary Jo White’s SEC leadership
Source: MarketWatch
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday blasted the leadership of Securities and Exchange Commission Chairwoman Mary Jo White, calling it extremely disappointing.
Its the most aggressive critique yet from the Massachusetts Democrat, who has often criticized regulators over their perceived lax stance against Wall Street firms.
In a 13-page letter sent to White on Tuesday, Warren cites four main complaints with Whites two-year tenure:
(snip)
The SECs failure to finalize Dodd-Frank rules regarding disclosure of CEO pay to median workers.
Whites failure to curb the use of waivers for companies that violate securities laws. Several firms received a waiver after pleading guilty to Justice Department charges of manipulating the foreign exchange market.
Read more: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/elizabeth-warren-blasts-mary-jo-whites-sec-leadership-2015-06-02?link=MW_home_latest_news
http://www.warren.senate.gov/files/documents/2015-6-2_Warren_letter_to_SEC.pdf
letter
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)A president needs a strong leader to work the Congress.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)Sherrod Brown did not vote to confirm White and clearly spoke about her Wall St ties as the reason. Warren voted for her.
Let's not forget that Warren made lots of money as a six figure fee consultant to all kinds of corporations including portions of Citigroup. She's a wealthy woman and she did not get rich being a consumer advocate, she got rich from her dealings with high finance and big business. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but it is wrong to pretend it is not the case.
Her views and Clinton's are currently pretty similar, although back in the 80's/90's Warren was a Republican and Supply Side advocate so Liz was far to Hillary's right on basically everything back then.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)One_Life_To_Give
(6,036 posts)Probably only the fear of another potential Teddy Roosevelt situation with some random anarchist would prevent that from happening.
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)is in the Senate. The VP does not sponsor bills, a senator can.
think
(11,641 posts)for colluding to rig the markets.
OKNancy
(41,832 posts)White was aggressive in her response, saying the senator mischaracterized her comments.
I am very proud of the agencys achievements under my leadership, including our record year in enforcement and the Commissions efforts in advancing more than 30 congressionally mandated rulemakings and other transformative policy initiatives to protect investors and strengthen our markets, White said in a statement. Senator Warrens mischaracterization of my statements and the agencys accomplishments is unfortunate, but it will not detract from the work we have done, and will continue to do, on behalf of investors.
-----------
In response, she said Tuesday that the agency has advanced more than 30 regulations required by Congress and last year levied more than $4 billion in penalties against defendants accused of misconduct.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-02/warren-says-sec-chair-white-s-tenure-extremely-disappointing-
d_legendary1
(2,586 posts)In other words she's proud of watching Wall Street's back. She's probably going to work for Goldman Sachs after her tenure as SEC "enforcer".
joshcryer
(62,270 posts)I have to wonder if she would have even taken the job if she knew just how many SEC litigations she'd lose.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)investigating with hat in hand for donations. Never could see that. But, hopefully, at the right time, she'll back Bernie. She seems more a firebrand like he is, rather than a more mainstream candidate like O'Malley. But she still holds plenty of influence in the Party, and for good reason.
Now that the AG has a win...international sports fraud...maybe she'll go for a home grown one ... International money fraud here that we've exported all over the globe with all the pain and suffering now called austerity.
Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)Yeah - after having read that letter, I'd sure love to read White's point-by-point refute of Senator Warren's call out. Ms. White (and Ms. Lynch) are looking the other way cause Wall Street OWNS them and many others that are supposedly "regulating" them.
I'm pissed, but I will take my little dollop of the blame for how this has come to be. Blame that's to be spread equally across the American votership. Ignorance and apathy is how White, Lynch, Holder and many others got tapped for their positions.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)votes which put her in that position. Hindsight is better than no sight, but foresight is what is needed. Sherrod Brown voted against her. He had foresight.
Cal33
(7,018 posts)turbinetree
(24,695 posts)to enforce the laws on the books against the banks, mortgage lenders, hedge fund managers, Libor, Wall Street (Ponzi scheme), dark pools, ect.......they had the tools and the means to go after these firms and individuals and they did not, they have not unless you look at the CFPA which was made by and developed by Warren to protect the public-----------while everyone else that has been bought and sold by the oligarchs was trying to take this agency down and are trying to do it to this day.
What is absolutory galling in this entire fiasco is that we, the public, our public treasury-------we own, bailed them out, is getting the proverbial shaft.
We gave our treasury to them at .01 percent rate of borrowed rate to continue to survive after the shenanigans they pulled.
And then they ( Wall Street, banks, ect......)turn right around and we the public, get hit with interests rates at nine to twenty-five percent interest, we are being charged those fees and its our money to boot------------that's what is galling.
We should have been given the same rate of .01%---------but no, we did not get the rate, we got left holding the bank after being robbed, and then being blamed, in a one sided court of power.
They, in turn sat, on there proverbial hands and did, and have done nothing except go before a congress and state, that they were "to big to fail" throw out the fear card for the MSM, to throw out to the masses----------------they were wrong-----------they should have been put in jail.
And if the SEC chair doesn't see this fact then maybe she should resign--------because the Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Robert Reich, and others in the "progressive caucus" are coming -----------we have had enough------------this is not business as usual.
And just like the movie "network" and what warren said we the people are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore
dreamnightwind
(4,775 posts)turbinetree
(24,695 posts)I try
It just amazing how the MSM is failing us, and we on this thread and others like C&l and Media Matters, Ring of Fire ect....get to vent this anger to correct what the MSM is suppose to be doing and they are not--------they are just as bad as the banks, the only concern is that want to infomercial the masses for greed and it started when the Fairness Doctrine was taken down in my opinion.
I for one grew-up in the age of Aquarius from which we did not want to be commercialized-----------we wanted change.
Some shows are great, Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, Thom Hartman, ect....., but they are very far and in-between and now just like days gone by we have to go underground you might say to do the opposition research to get the facts.
Again thanks for the support
Scuba
(53,475 posts)turbinetree
(24,695 posts)we need more opposition research to get the facts out on what everyone which has been part of this big game they play, have been doing, and to remind people of what they are doing.
They never want to answer the letters-or questions ----------because they know that they are true------and we the public still want answers.
They know if they try to answer them, they have to do it with some nefarious means of denial --------it really is disgusting, like they get caught with there hands in the cookie jar and then have chocolate all over there face--------------I didn't do it, the other person did or they made me do it ------its always the same response.
They truly don't see the Sanders, Warren, Brown, Reich, Papantanio train coming, they really don't----people are fed up.
We have the same tools ( individuals, firms, banks, ect...) that play this game of hide and seek and recusal-----------answer the letter that's all she was asking --------give your answers and she did not
I think its great that Warren backed her into a corner.
When they have these hearings which are few and far in-between, why is that, ..... because we the public don't get to see these hearings because the same people on the committees are bought and sold, they never have, a like Watergate moment never, ever notice that, never ----------this is what is also galling the senate staff are lobbyists working in the committees , it never use to be that way------------until Glass-Steagel------never----------we are giving our tax dollars to have a senator or congressman or woman pay lobbyists to work in their office.
Again Thanks for the support ---------- I and you try to do our proverbial best
Scuba
(53,475 posts)The trying relates to educating the rest.
red dog 1
(27,792 posts)Interesting to note that while Mary Jo White calls the letter:
"a mischaracterization of my statements and the agency's accomplishments,"
White never addresses any specific charges contained in the 13-page letter, such as:
-- "Numerous SEC enforcement cases that require recusals by White because of her prior law firm employment and her husband's current law practice."
and,
-- "Warren even suggests companies may deliberately hire her husband, John White, to lead to a recusal and a 2-to-2 deadlock of remaining commissioners."
If these very serious charges are NOT true, why didn't White address them directly in her statement?
project_bluebook
(411 posts)but they do go after the little fish now and then. Mary Jo White is as worthless now as when she was an attorney.
joshcryer
(62,270 posts)Unfortunate Warren does not recognize this: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/s-e-c-s-losing-streak-in-court-puts-agency-in-spotlight/
White does the waivers to avoid litigation where the SEC has a high chance of losing. It sucks but that's how it's set up right now. The messed up part is that they're trying to fix the waiver which will force the SEC to litigate losing cases, thus giving companies a good chance to win when as of now they plead guilty and pay a find.
Dodd-Frank rule finalization of course falls on White, but the SEC is also underfunded, so there's that: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/02/21/SEC-Chief-Says-Agency-Badly-Underfunded
They actually go hand in hand, if the SEC doesn't have the litigative power to go after companies because they're underfunded, then the waiver is the lesser of two evils.
More demagoguery.
appalachiablue
(41,131 posts)the people. Financiers are still are issuing subprime auto loans, and they're bundled like student loans and rental properties into junk derivatives for gambling as before. FDR created the SEC and brought Joe Kennedy Sr. to DC to be its first Chair in 1934 because he had been smart enough to get out before the Crash of 1929 and knew how the system worked. After bank deregulation in 1999 it only took 10 years to cause the greatest financial crisis in 75 years.
People are so unaware because MSM isn't doing it's job, except hard- to- find news like you mentioned. The Media corruption started when Reagan stopped the Fairness Doctrine and Clinton deregulated the media in 1996 with the Telecom Act, like the banks in 1999. The entire financial system is bigger, riskier and more fragile now and will come down again. The segments now posted in Video of Prof. Richard Wolff and Thom Hartmann discussing the Economy in a one hour special, May 28, 2015 are very important. Mini-rant.
In 2008 Lehman Bros. CEO Richard Fuld's salary and compensation were disclosed before Congress. He made 500 Mill during 2000-2007 before his Investment Co. went bankrupt in 2008; the shareholders got 0.
In 2009 Freddie Mac shares had tanked, stress was major, how many exec. options David K. held who knows.