the fix is in / the crooks win ., page-19

FROM:

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/10/judge-cftc-corrupt-wendy-gramm-criminal/

Oct 21, 2010

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?A retiring administrative law judge has asked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to prevent his colleague from ruling on his leftover cases, saying investors won?t get a fair shake.

CFTC Administrative Law Judge George Painter, in a letter released Wednesday, accused fellow CFTC administrative law judge Bruce Levine of bias in his handling of complaints by investors against their futures brokers.

The notice, received by the CFTC?s Office of Proceedings, asks the CFTC to formally request a judge from another federal agency to take up his seven remaining cases instead of reassigning them to Levine.

In a highly unusual public rebuke of his colleague, Painter rails against the way Levine has handled cases involving investors who don?t have attorneys and come to the commission with grievances against their brokers.

Painter claims Levine told him nearly 20 years ago that he promised then-CFTC Chairman Wendy Gramm he?d never rule in favor of a complainant.

?A review of his rulings will confirm that he has fulfilled his vow,? Painter wrote. He added that Levine forces plaintiffs without legal representation ?to run a hostile gauntlet until they lose hope, and either withdraw their complaint or settle for a pittance, regardless of the merits of the case.?