The Obama administration tapped two academics to fill vacancies on the Securities and Exchange Commission, bucking the trend of turning to white collar criminal defense lawyers to fill key regulatory appointments.
Democratic commissioner nominee Fairfax favorite of Sen. Elizabeth Warren
The nominee for the Democrat SEC commissioner is George Washington University law professor Lisa Fairfax, known for having expertise in shareholder activism, corporate governance and securities. The Republican nominee, Hester Maria Peirce, is George Mason University research fellow at Mercatus Center, a free-market orientated think tank. Both nominees require Senate confirmation.
The nomination of two academics comes after a behind...