Janet Yellen, confirmed on Jan. 25, 2021, as Treasury Secretary, disclosed income of more than $7.2 million in speaking fees, mostly from major financial firms and related industry groups, during 2019 and 2020.
The Hill reported that Secretary Yellen would consult with ethics lawyers before participating “personally and substantially in any particular matter” that involve firms that paid her.
Notable entries on the list included $1 million from Citigroup and $810,000 from Citadel, a less familiar name to most consumers. Citadel’s securities unit executes transactions for various retail stock brokers, including Robinhood. In late January, Robinhood blocked investors from making some trades amid extraordinary trading volumes in GameStop. Robinhood said financial requirements from clearinghouses that settle trades and keep track of investors’ holdings led it to restrict the trades.