Washington

Samantha DeZur, the Bond Dealers of America vice president of federal policy and strategic communications, will take a new job as the manager of government relations for Chicago-based CME Group Sept. 14.

Three federal appeals court judges dismissed a challenge Tuesday to the Securities and Exchange Commission's pay-to-play rule for investment advisors that has similarities to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board's own pay-to-play rule for broker-dealers.

Michael Bartolotta, formerly of First Southwest, has left that firm to join Citi in Houston.

The National Association of Bond Lawyers released a paper Thursday giving its members tools to help issuer clients develop written disclosure policies and procedures in response to recent Securities and Exchange Commission cases against issuers.

The Investment Company Institute is urging the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board to give 529 college savings plan underwriters another extension before they will have to file their first data submissions under a recently adopted rule.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board announced changes to its Electronic Municipal Market Access site Tuesday that will allow municipal issuers to show bank loan disclosures in a further effort to promote voluntary disclosure of issuers’ bank loan financings.

Bracewell & Giuliani partner Shamoil T. Shipchandler will head the Fort Worth regional office of the Securities and Exchange Commission beginning in October, the agency said.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ordered seven broker-dealer firms to pay a total of more than $90,641 to settle charges of muni trade reporting failures and excessive markups, as well as engaging in muni business without qualified personnel.

Two Citigroup companies agreed to pay $180 million on Monday to settle charges they defrauded investors by misrepresenting that investments in two now-defunct hedge funds were safe, low-risk and suitable for traditional bond investors.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board has proposed several changes to clarify its proposed Rule G-42 on core duties of municipal advisors but declined to ease a controversial provision that would bar an MA giving advice from acting as a principal in the same transaction.