Americans for Financial Reform

News Category: AFR in the News

In the News: The Big SPAC Crackdown

“There is no doubt [SEC Chair Gensler] wants to make it very clear that the sheriff is back in town,” says Andrew Park, senior policy analyst at Americans for Financial Reform, an investor advocacy group that earlier this year co-authored a letter to the House Financial Services Committee suggesting several SPAC reforms. At least one

In The News: Progressive Opposition to Jerome Powell Clouds His Chances for Second Term as Fed Chairman (The Wall Street Journal)

Reappointing Mr. Powell “would be disappointing” for those who care about Mr. Biden’s agenda to address financial regulation, climate change and racial wealth gaps, said Erik Gerding, a senior fellow at Americans for Financial Reform, a nonprofit that argues for tougher financial regulation. “Having Jerome Powell continue would just mean one less vote for sustained and healthy regulation of the banking system.”

In the News: Private equity’s terrible impact on New Jersey’s nursing homes (The Star-Ledger)

“As COVID-19 swept through New Jersey’s nursing homes, residents and workers got sick and died, families struggled to get basic information about their loved ones, and caregivers were rightly terrified that they would bring the virus back to their own families. What few realized is how a secret Wall Street takeover of much of the long-term care industry has amplified the health risks to those who live and work in nursing homes” according to AFR Senior Researcher Patrick Woodall and 1199SEIU Executive Vice President Milly Silva.

In The News: A reckoning for SPACs: will regulators deflate the boom? (Financial Times)

In February, a letter sent to the House Financial Services Committee by the progressive non-profit Americans for Financial Reform called on Congress to expand the blank-cheque company definition and amend securities law to exclude SPAC mergers from liability protections. “As long as there’s money to be made in every part of the SPAC issuance process, I don’t expect to see changes unless you start to see some more scrutiny,” says Andrew Park, senior policy analyst at AFR.