The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to pass legislation that would get rid of exemptions from federal securities law for registered securities offered in U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico. The bill is called the U.S. Territories Investor Protection Act of 2016. Rep. Nydia Velazques (D-NY), who sponsored the legislation,…
The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico did not pay $911 million of bond payments due July 1, as expected. At least $779 million of that is general obligation bonds, which are constitutionally-backed debt and supposed to be guaranteed. However, Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla has issued a debt moratorium…
A group of hedge funds in New York that invested in Puerto Rico general obligation bonds are suing the island’s government. The bond lawsuit came just days before the island is expected to default on a $2 billion debt payment due, including over $700 million in general obligation bonds on…
The Securities and Exchange Commission has settled its fraud case with two municipal advisory firms and their executives. They are accused of using deceptive practices when trying to solicit business from five school districts in California. The advisory firms, School Business Consulting Inc. and Keygent LLC, resolved the administrative proceedings…
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Puerto Rico law that would have let its public utilities restructure $20 billion of debt. The territory’s officials enacted the Recovery Act in 2014 in an attempt to help it deal with its $70 billion of debt. Puerto Rico’s large public utilities owe…
Mayor of Harvey, Illinois Barred From Future Involvement In Muni Bond Offerings Eric J. Kellog, the mayor of Harvey, Illinois, will pay $10K to resolve the Securities and Exchange Commission’s case accusing him of municipal bond fraud. As part of the settlement, Kellog has agreed to never take part in…
The U.S. House of Representatives passed PROMESA, a bill to help Puerto Rico deal with its recession and its over $70 billion debt, in a landslide vote of 297-to-127. The island has been in financial trouble for some time now, with many of its residents leaving because the situation has…
U.S. lawmakers have come up with a bill that will help Puerto Rico restructure its debt. The territory has been asking for help from the federal government to deal with its debt crisis. Unlike states and other municipalities in the U.S., territories are not allowed to file for bankruptcy protection…
According to InvestmentNews, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito is asking the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to conduct a probe into OppenheimerFunds, Inc. (“OPY”) and its impact on Puerto Rico’s financial woes. Speaker Mark-Viverito believes that the asset-management company played a part in making Puerto Rico’s financial…
Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro García Padilla announced this week that the U.S. territory would not be paying most of the $422 million in debt that was due on Monday. However, it did pay $23 million in interest. As the Puerto Rican government had swapped $33 million of debt for new…