today I am introducing legislation that extends the time period the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, would have to seek civil monetary penalties for securities law violations. This legislation is necessary in light of the Supreme Court's decision in Gabelli v. SEC in which the Court held that the 5 year clock to take action aginst wrongdoing starts when the fraud occurs, not when it is discovered. In effect, Gabelli has made the SEC's job of protecting investors even tougher by shortening the amount of time that the SEC has to investigate and pursue securities law violations. Financial fraud has evolved significantly over the years and now involves multiple parties, complex financial products, and elaborate transactions that are executed in a variety of securities markets, both domestic and foreign. As a result, many of the critical facts necessary to initiate an action may go undetected for years. Securities law violators may simply run out the clock, now with greater ease in the aftermath of Gabelli. Couple this with the fact that while we have given the SEC even greater responsibilities, Congress, despite my ongoing efforts to urge otherwise, has not provided the agency with all the resources necessary to carry out its duties.…
On the recordSeptember 18, 2014
Share
More from Jack Reed
Jul 10, 2026
The Trump Administration is driving up energy prices and throttling back federal aid.
Nov 30, 2025
The Committee has directed inquiries to the Department, and we will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to the circumstances.
Feb 24, 2026
today I am introducing the Foreign Stablecoin Transparency Act. This important legislation would close a loophole in the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins, or GENIUS, Act by extending a provision that…
Oct 23, 2025
At a moment when U.S. forces are building up across the Caribbean and tensions with Venezuela are at a boiling point, the departure of our top military commander in the region sends an alarming signal of instability within the chain of…





