Trump nominates four SEC and CFTC commissioners

The White House announced Thursday that former CFTC Commissioner Kristin Johnson and former SEC official Steven Levine are Trump’s choices for the Securities and Exchange Commission. He nominated Nathan Anonick and Matthew Rowland to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Johnson, a Democrat, served on the CFTC until 2025 and worked on cryptocurrency regulation, consumer protection and financial stability. Levine, a Republican, was counsel and deputy chief of staff to SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda before taking a senior legal role at the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Anonick, a Republican, works with Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman’s staff and took part in negotiations on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. Rowland, a Democrat and CFTC attorney, has worked with the Senate Agriculture Committee and participated in congressional discussions on crypto legislation.

CFTC Chairman Mike Selig called Anonick and Rowland “two strong bipartisan picks.” The SEC currently has Chairman Paul Atkins and Commissioner Mark Uyeda; Hester Peirce left after her term expired. Selig is the CFTC’s sole commissioner. Trump’s proposed terms run through June 2029 for Johnson, June 2030 for Levine, June 2031 for Anonick and April 2028 for Rowland.

The Senate Banking Committee will review the SEC nominees, and the Senate Agriculture Committee will consider the CFTC candidates before any full-Senate confirmation votes. Republicans retain their Senate majority for the remainder of the current session, but Democrats are due to control both chambers when the new Congress begins January 3, 2027, following the November 3 midterm elections.

The nominations arrive as the CLARITY Act remains stalled. On September 15, a procedural vote to advance it failed, with 49 senators in favor and 50 opposed; 60 votes were required. The bill would set rules for dividing crypto oversight between the SEC and CFTC. Democrats sought stronger safeguards addressing conflicts of interest, including those involving Trump and his family’s crypto businesses, while Republicans argued the measure would give digital asset companies clearer rules.

Former CFTC Chairman Chris Giancarlo said in a November 11 interview that he had heard Representative Maxine Waters might retain about 80% of the bill and propose changes reflecting Democratic priorities. He described a possible challenge to Trump as, “We dare you to veto it.” No new legislative proposal has been announced. In the meantime, the SEC has proposed changes on digital asset offerings and custody, while the CFTC continues work on crypto trading and derivatives under its existing powers.