Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement chiefs have drawn up a hit list of impending cases where officials intend to test their new policy of requiring admissions of wrongdoing when settling civil charges, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The handful of likely target cases include a planned enforcement action against a company alleged to have made illicit profits by charging investors undisclosed markups on top of commissions. The new SEC leadership last week changed the agency's long-standing policy of allowing companies and individuals to settle charges without admitting or denying liability. Chairman Mary Jo White said that in certain cases, such as particularly egregious conduct or where widespread harm to investors occurred, defendants will have to admit wrongdoing or face fighting the charges in court.
