SEC Workers Investigated For Porn-Watching

Washington Times:

The work computer of one regional supervisor for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission showed more than 1,800 attempts to look up pornography in a 17-day span: "It was kind of distraction per se," he later told investigators.

Read the whole story: Washington Times

Comments

[schatsie]

10:15 AM on 02/03/2010

These were embedded Republican members of the Federalist Society and god forbid they should be fired....and this is going on throughout the government.....I say dock their pay and make them pay triple damages and it will stop immediately......or better yet give them a RATIONAL review and fire them for this if their is no performance of duties....they all have job descriptions.....

[sloreader]

11:45 PM on 02/02/2010

The SEC must be very pleased with its "results" over the last 8 years.

[schatsie]

10:18 AM on 02/03/2010

Yes it is Bush was very happy with them....

[FreedomCorpse]

06:09 PM on 02/02/2010

financial fraud has been legalized so the SEC doesn't do anything but kill time anymore.

[jsgaetano]

02:30 PM on 02/02/2010

Another "family values" conservative hire, no doubt.

[BurtonOerney]

12:40 PM on 02/02/2010

What is an 'attempt to look up pornography?'

[rbchilds]

09:53 PM on 02/02/2010

A political mindset, thinking one thing but not knowing what buttons to push.

[ebanks84]

11:39 AM on 02/02/2010

Most, if not all, men do that. So?

[pjwrites]

11:39 AM on 02/02/2010

It isn't porn watching that concerns us.

[washlib]

11:17 AM on 02/02/2010

big friggen deal. Monitor his usage, send him to a sexual appropriateness class, and call it good.

[Aerows]

11:37 AM on 02/02/2010

One guy made 1,880 attempts over a period of 17 days. That's not a "big friggen deal", that is insanity. Over 100 hits a day? If he worked 10 hours a day, that's a significant part of his day that he is doing anything but working. How can you possibly think that's okay?

No wonder the SEC never has any idea of what is going on with regards to regulation - people like this supervisor are too busy doing whatever they feel like doing that isn't work.

[rbchilds]

09:54 PM on 02/02/2010

The unintended consequences of viagra, maybe.

[RSKaz]

11:15 AM on 02/02/2010

This just in: Vivid Video Employees Investigated for Watching CNBC.

[confuseddemocrat]

11:13 AM on 02/02/2010

Now we know why the SEC couldn't catch Madoff.......................

[LJIESQ]

08:17 PM on 03/08/2010

No, they were too busy chasing his brother Jack.

[lisaman]

11:03 AM on 02/02/2010

So is this how Madoff got away with his schemes for so long?

[comicpro]

11:00 AM on 02/02/2010

Hey maybe they can be good at something since apparently dropping the ball in regards to regulation they totally missed!

[FHTB]

10:53 AM on 02/02/2010

No need to worry...they aren't finding him...he's DEAD as a DOORNAIL...and let's stop trying to discuss him as a living person from here on out, K?

[KennebunkportIndependent]

10:47 AM on 02/02/2010

I will be sure to wear gloves before, and wash my hands after, I touch any post from these agencies!

[jeanruss]

11:07 AM on 02/02/2010

The BIG story at the SEC is that it is being sued for over 3 trillion dollars for running a Ponzi scheme.

[blacksmithn]

10:24 AM on 02/02/2010

Two dozen people over a two year period in an agency that employs 3500 folks. And none of them apparently accessed the objectionable material.

Seems like much ado about nothing to me.

[Aerows]

11:07 AM on 02/02/2010

No, that was one person who tried it 1,800 times in a period of 17 days. If you are hitting porn sites (or trying to) that often, you clearly do not have enough to do. That's over 100 attempts a day, and that's nuts. What does he do at home?

[blacksmithn]

11:49 AM on 02/02/2010

That was one-- presumably, the most egregious-- example. The article clearly states that this involved two dozen people over a two year period.

In any organization of 3500 over such a period, whether government or public sector, this is hardly surprising. We had one genius bring in a porn dvd he'd made of he and his wife to show off. Why he thought that was a good idea, I'll never know and, yes, he was disciplined for his ridiculous lack of judgement.

As for the 1800 times a day guy, obviously he needs therapy.

[sloreader]

11:44 PM on 02/02/2010

Two dozen indiscretions might be forgiven if they had made even one credible bust.

[blacksmithn]

09:43 AM on 02/03/2010

Actually, 2009 appears to have seen a reinvigorated agency actively investigating and enforcing the law. See:

http://watchingthewatchers.org/indepth/95828/mid-year-review-sec-enforcement-2009

In remarks to the NY Bar Association in August 2009, Robert Khuzami, newly appointed director of Enforcement for the agency noted:

"Comparing the period from late January [2009] to the present to roughly the same period in 2008, the Division has opened 10% more investigations (approximately 525, compared to 475); have been granted 118% more formal orders (which grants us subpoena power) (275, compared to 126); have filed 147% more TROs (52, compared to 21); and have filed nearly 30% more actions (397, compared to 306)."


Progress? Certainly. Is it sufficient? Most likely not, but it's clearly a giant step in the right direction. Why hasn't this information been more widely made known? Like most regulatory agencies, much of what they do is unheralded, unnoticed and unseen.