Scrutiny in Wake of MF Global Could Breakup CME
CME may face greater regulation following collapse of MF Global.
Compiled by staff
Published: Jan 9, 2012
A major question that is being asked is whether or not the CME did enough prior to the collapse and ensuing bankruptcy of MF Global to make sure customer money was safe. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is looking into the supervision of CME with regard to customer money.
MF Global filed for bankruptcy on Oct. 31, 2011 and it is estimated that $1.2 billion of customer money, which was not segregated as it should have been is still missing. A diversion of customer funds for the benefit of the firm would be a violation of industry rules.
A spokeswoman for CME Group, the biggest operator of U.S. futures exchanges and MF Global's front-line regulator, said the company welcomed any probe.
"We haven't been notified that they are investigating us, but we would expect and frankly welcome it - it's part of their job that they are looking at the things we did," CME spokeswoman Anita Liskey said. "We are confident that they will agree that we did our job to the best of our abilities."
Neither the CME nor its executives have been accused of any wrongdoing or charged in connection to the MF Global collapse. CME Executive Chairman Terrence Duffy has testified that MF Global provided false documentation to the CME about the customer funds under its control, saying it had a surplus and later correcting the documentation to show a deficit.
Fox Business News reported that sources say that a breakup of the CME, similar to the splitting of the NASDQ into a market arm and regulatory arm following a scandal in the late 1990s, is something that is “definitely on the table.”
To view a video report on the possible impact on the CME by Fox Business News’ Charlie Gasparino, click HERE.
Elsewhere in the investigation, the Wall Street Journal has reported that former FBI Director Louis Freeh, the bankruptcy trustee for MF Global's parent company, has refused to turn over some documents to the CFTC asserting attorney-client privilege. However, a spokesperson for Freeh said they were cooperating with investigators, were willing to discuss it with them and would be inclined to waive privilege.
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Tagged: SURE
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Rather than really help their customers, the CME Group is far more interested in padding their pockets. Farmers are supposed to be happy that the CME created this huge $100m fund protecting farmers of ONLY UP to 25k for each farmer, not for what just happened, but ONLY IN CASE IT ONLY EVER HAPPENS AGAIN!!!
By the way, the $500m windfall came from money they stole when they extorted the State of Illinois that they would leave the state if they didn't get a $500m bonus. The ink isn't even dry on that before they send out this $500m to their shareholders. Wouldn't it be nice if they gave a portion of this to their customer base? No, they spit into farmers faces by announcing that they'll give something back in case this happens again in the future? REALLY? REALLY? The CME Board has shown itself to be so blinded by their own greed they can't see the bigger picture. I hope they all reward themselves with handsome bonuses for jobs well done in 2011. After all, this is Wall Street, isn't it???
Posted by Anonymous on February 2 at 8:03 PM
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Very nice of the cme group to announce a 4th quarter windfall of $500m, in addition to the usual 250m they make every quarter. And then they announce they'll pay farmers up to 25k if this ever happens again. THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES!!!!!
Posted by Anonymous on February 2 at 7:49 PM
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Put Duffy and Corzine in the same jail cell.But Obama would just let them go!
Posted by Anonymous on January 9 at 5:51 PM
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MF Global flat out lied. Why penalize CME as long as they did what was expected of them? John Corzine needs to be in jail, and now. The people being injured in this situation are everyday farmers. If this situation involved a larger demographic body, like senior citizens retirement money, do you think this would be as quiet an issue? No way.
Posted by Anonymous on January 9 at 3:52 PM
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