Jack Casey

The town of Ramapo, N.Y. and one of four individuals charged with securities fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission for misleading muni bond investors are disputing the charges and urging a federal judge to dismiss the case.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board is aiming to make progress on a number of high-profile projects during its board meeting next week including markup and bank loan disclosure as well as a new municipal advisor complaint system and plans to improve EMMA.

Municipal market participants are criticizing as too low the $50,000 fine that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority imposed on Dougherty & Co. after finding the firm served as an underwriter for 54 issuers with which it had ongoing “blanket” financial advisory agreements.

Elaine Greenberg, the former head of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s municipal enforcement unit, has joined Greenberg Traurig’s Washington D.C. office as a shareholder, the firm announced Tuesday.

Dougherty & Co. was hit with the largest Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fine of its kind in recent years after the firm agreed to pay $50,000 for serving as an underwriter for 54 issuers with which it had ongoing "blanket" financial advisory agreements.

Congressional leaders have named the eight members who will serve on a legislative task force responsible for examining possible ways to boost Puerto Rico’s struggling economy.

Oriental Financial Services, Hilltop Securities, Alluvion Securities and Sterne, Agee & Leach have agreed to pay a combined $133,358 for municipal securities violations uncovered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

A recent study’s findings that the share of households holding municipal debt fell considerably over a 24-year period with a corresponding condensing of ownership in the hands of the wealthiest may lead to political questions related to muni debt, the study’s authors conclude.

The National Federation of Municipal Analysts wants issuers to improve their disclosures about statutory liens and how they could affect general obligation bonds following a slew of recent municipal bankruptcies where this was a key issue.

Puerto Rico’s representative in Congress is asking Gov. Alejandro García Padilla to take steps to comply with a portion of the recently enacted law, PROMESA, that requires cost estimates for new commonwealth legislation to be disclosed after an oversight board is created.

Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro García Padilla said on Tuesday that Puerto Rico’s struggle with its recent fiscal crisis may be an example for larger states and municipalities that have financial struggles they must deal with in the future.

The House approved a bill by voice vote on Monday that would put an end to a current legal loophole that a lawmaker contends has led to financial losses for many Puerto Rican investors and retirees.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is battling with Miami and former budget director Michael Boudreaux over whether they can defend themselves against securities fraud charges by saying they relied on advice from auditors.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule that could help Puerto Rico retain many physicians who otherwise may have considered leaving the fiscally troubled island.

Four senators urged President Obama and congressional leaders on Thursday to only nominate and appoint qualified individuals from Puerto Rico to serve on the oversight board to be created under recently passed legislation designed to help the commonwealth with its fiscal crisis.

The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority will delay payments on loans and renegotiate loan agreement terms under U.S. state revolving fund and rural development programs, according to two forbearance agreements detailed in an event notice posted on EMMA on Wednesday.

The federal judge presiding over a Securities and Exchange Commission case charging the city of Miami and its former budget director with securities fraud concluded in a July 5 order that the bulk of the case could not be decided before trial

Three state Republican parties challenging the constitutionality of a revised Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board anti-pay-to-play rule are asking a federal circuit court to streamline the legal process by consolidating their two pending cases.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board is asking the Securities and Exchange Commission to approve rule changes that would create a new academic trade product with anonymous dealer identifiers that has proved somewhat controversial.

Legislation to rescue Puerto Rico from its debt crisis is moving to President Obama’s desk for a signature after the Senate approved it 68 to 30 Wednesday, just two days before the commonwealth is expected to default on a $2 billion debt payment.