Frank Bans Aide Who Joined Financial Industry

Barney Frank has blacklisted a former aide who took a job as a lobbyist for the financial industry. Peter Roberson worked on the financial reform bill while on the House Financial Services Committee—then promptly took a job with Intercontinental Exchange, a derivatives trading firm. Roberson would already fall under the 1-year ban preventing former Hill staffers from dealing with the government, but Frank said that wasn't strong enough.

He ordered committee staff to avoid all communication with Roberson on financial regulation for as long as Frank is head of the panel, reports the Hill. Frank said he was surprised at the audacity of his former aide: "When Mr. Roberson was hired, it never occurred to me that he would jump so quickly from the committee staff to an industry that was being affected by the committee's legislation."