Gag rules stifle financial journalism
Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler testifies during a Senate subcommittee hearing last year.
The Securities and Exchange Commission requires defendants who settle cases it brings to contract away their right to deny the SEC’s allegations. So does the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. That means potential sources can’t speak to financial journalists.
We wrote for The Hill about why it’s a problem when financial regulators – known for occasionally crashing the global economy – use their leverage to stifle criticism.
We explained that “the First Amendment rejects the notion that the government can protect its reputation by silencing critics. … It’s an excuse that could be used to rationalize any form of censorship by any agency.”