Judge rejects Citigroup's $75 million settlement with SEC

By Zachary A. Goldfarb
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 16, 2010

A federal judge on Monday refused to accept a $75 million settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission and Citigroup, the second time in a year that the agency's attempt to sanction a major bank was foiled by a judge with questions about the appropriateness of the agreement.

Judge Ellen S. Huvelle of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia raised questions during a hearing Monday about why the SEC chose to penalize Citigroup financially when it's the company's shareholders who will ultimately bear the price of the sanction, according to lawyers who were present. She also asked why the agency decided to charge only two executives with wrongdoing when other more senior executives were involved with Citigroup's actions, the lawyers said.

Huvelle demanded more information from SEC and Citigroup and scheduled another hearing for Sept. 24.

Last month, the SEC charged Citigroup with misleading investors about nearly $40 billion of its holdings in subprime mortgage investments in 2007.

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