How Good is the SEC's Compliance Program?

The SEC recently announced the appointment of its first Chief Compliance Officer, to streamline and centralize oversight responsibility for agency employees'  securities transactions and financial disclosure reporting.  However, Suzanne Barlyn notes that the new compliance officer does not have the independence and responsibility that effective compliance programs in the private sector have. The SEC's officer, for example, is not among the agency's "top-level" management and does not report directly to the SEC Chair.  SEC’s “World Class” Compliance Falls Short