The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee [official websites], as well as an ex-staff member, reached an agreement [stipulation, PDF] to provide requested material to the SEC in relation to an insider trading investigation. New York district judge Paul Gardephe ordered [text, PDF] the government authorities to comply with subpoenas issued by the SEC last year. The subpoenas asked for documents and information from members of the committee and from Brian Sutter, a top congressional health care aide, to assist in its insider trading investigation relating to leaked information about Medicare reimbursement rates within the government. The agreement set a protocol for the SEC to review the documents it sought, and in exchange the House panel would dismiss the appeal of Gardephe’s 2015 ruling [JURIST report].

The enforcement of securities regulations continues to be a major concern in the US. In October the SEC established new liquidation risk management rules [JURIST report] for mutual funds and exchange-traded funds that require the industry to establish programs that protect shareholders in the event that investors suddenly sell off their assets. Also in October US District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III conditionally dismissed [JURIST report] an SEC suit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for misleading investors. Also last month a hedge fund manager agreed on a settlement agreement [JURIST report] for SEC charges imposed for a widespread scheme involving the bribery of officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Libya.