{"id":2405808,"date":"2025-02-23T17:15:56","date_gmt":"2025-02-23T22:15:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/secs-report-on-hinman-remains-under-wraps-as-review-continues-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-02-23T17:17:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-23T22:17:32","slug":"secs-report-on-hinman-remains-under-wraps-as-review-continues-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/secs-report-on-hinman-remains-under-wraps-as-review-continues-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"SEC\u2019s report on Hinman remains under wraps as review continues &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsecs-report-on-hinman-remains-under-wraps-as-review-continues-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2405808&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Teh article discusses \u2062the ongoing inquiry into \u200cWilliam Hinman, a\u2064 former \u2062director of the SEC&#8217;s division of Corporation Finance, regarding \u2063potential\u200d conflicts of interest tied\u2064 to his prior \u200daffiliation with the law firm Simpson \u200dThacher. Empower\u200b Oversight,a\u2064 nonprofit focused \u2064on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-the-election-assistance-commission-told-the-senate-in-december-2020-it-had-two-accredited-test-laboratories-in-reality-it-had-none\/\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE: The Election Assistance Commission Told the Senate in December 2020 It Had Two Accredited Test Laboratories \u2013 In Reality It Had None\">government oversight<\/a>,raised concerns after acquiring \u200bdocuments suggesting Hinman may have <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">violated federal ethics rules<\/a>. The \u200dSEC&#8217;s Office of Inspector General is in the final stages of its investigation but has yet to publicly release\u200c its\u2064 findings. pressure from various groups, including Consumer Action for a\u200c Strong economy (CASE), has been mounting for the SEC to disclose\u2064 the \u2064related report, with advocates emphasizing its significance in the context of cryptocurrency regulation. Hinman&#8217;s controversial 2018 speech, \u2064where he stated that transactions involving Ether and Bitcoin\u2062 were not securities, has also drawn scrutiny, notably as Ether&#8217;s value surged following his \u2063remarks. The SEC&#8217;s ethics Office had\u200d previously warned Hinman about his financial interests,advising him to recuse himself from decisions that could\u200b impact his former firm.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">SEC&rsquo;s report on Hinman remains under wraps as review continues<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2016266\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; President Donald Trump&rsquo;s administration has yet to release a report on alleged conflicts of interest by a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission director.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Empower Oversight, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving independent government oversight, raised questions about William Hinman, who served as director of the SEC&rsquo;s Division of Corporation Finance from May 2017 to December 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Empower Oversight obtained documents that it said showed Hinman may have violated federal ethics rules regarding conflicts of interest. The group&rsquo;s investigation resulted in a referral of evidence to the SEC OIG in May 2022. In February 2024, the SEC&rsquo;s Office of Inspector General said it was in the &ldquo;final stages&rdquo; of an investigation, according to correspondence the group posted.<\/p>\n<p>Outside groups have kept pressure on the SEC to release the Hinman report. Earlier this month, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy (CASE) called on outgoing SEC Chairman Gary Gensler to release the SEC&rsquo;s Office of the Inspector General&rsquo;s report on potential conflicts of interest by Hinman.<\/p>\n<p>The Center Square filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the report in December 2024. At that time, a spokesperson for the SEC&rsquo;s OIG told The Center Square the Hinman report had &ldquo;been issued to SEC management.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In February, an SEC researcher told The Center Square that the FOIA office was consulting with the SEC &ldquo;regarding the accessibility of the requested report.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Hinman raised eyebrows in a 2018 speech when he said, &ldquo;based on my understanding of the present state of Ether, the Ethereum network and its decentralized structure, current offers and sales of Ether are not securities transactions.&rdquo; He said the same about Bitcoin, another cryptocurrency.<\/p>\n<p>Empower Oversight said records and other information showed that Hinman failed to disclose his direct interest in his former law firm, Simpson Thacher, and by extension, his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-judicial-watchs-tom-fitton-slams-dr-faucis-ugly-covid-scandal-that-deserves-skepticism\/\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE: Judicial Watch\u2019s Tom Fitton Slams Dr. Fauci\u2019s \u2018Ugly\u2019 COVID \u2018Scandal\u2019 That Deserves \u2018Skepticism\u2019\">direct financial interest<\/a> in an organization co-founded by the law firm, the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, which describes itself as an &ldquo;industry organization whose objective is to drive the use of Enterprise Ethereum&rdquo; and its cryptocurrency, Ether. Ether&rsquo;s value rose after Hinman&rsquo;s speech, Empower Oversight noted.<\/p>\n<p>CASE leader Matthew Kandrach urged the SEC to release the Hinman report.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Inspector General&rsquo;s investigation into the former Director of Corporation Finance is well known. It&rsquo;s past time to release the IG&rsquo;s report,&rdquo; he said in a statement. &ldquo;We are asking Chairman Gensler to do the right thing and release the IG report so the American people can know what happened leading up to the government&rsquo;s most consequential actions on crypto regulation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Empower Oversight said it obtained records through the Freedom of Information Act that showed the SEC&rsquo;s Ethics Office cautioned Hinman that he had a direct financial interest in his former law firm, Simpson Thacher, and thus, he needed to recuse himself from any matters that would affect the firm. And the Ethics Office told him not to have any contact with Simpson Thacher personnel. The Ethics Office also gave Hinman a draft memorandum, which was to be issued under his name, that established a screening arrangement to ensure that he complied with his obligation to recuse himself from certain matters with which he had a financial interest, or a personal or business relationship, according to Empower Oversight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2016266\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2016266\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SEC&#8217;s Hinman report still unreleased amid ongoing review<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2405809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/iStock-1488367477-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[50943,50944,50942,32076],"class_list":["post-2405808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-hinman","tag-report-2","tag-sec-2","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/iStock-1488367477-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2405808"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2405812,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405808\/revisions\/2405812"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2405809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2405808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2405808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2405808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}