Elizabeth Warren called on President Obama Friday to remove the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, citing the agency’s neglect of a campaign finance regulation that Warren wants.
In a letter send to Obama Friday, the Massachusetts senator wrote that SEC Chairwoman Mary Jo White’s “views have undermined the SEC, your Administration’s priorities, Congressional mandates, and the best interests of investors,” and asked him to replace her immediately.
At issue was White’s refusal to back a rule requiring corporations to disclose contributions to political nonprofits, a regulation that Democrats and liberal activists have pushed hard in recent years as a response to the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court ruling.
The letter was not the first time that Warren has publicly criticized White, an Obama appointee.
In 2015, Warren outlined a list of grievances with White in a long letter. This June, she raised some of those concerns, including regarding the political contributions disclosure, directly to White during a Senate hearing, telling White that she was “more disappointed than ever.”
“I’m disappointed in your disappointment,” White responded then.
In the past, the White House has defended White, expressing confidence in her leadership.
