However, Skogstad Aamo found support from fellow economist Per Kleppe,[2] at that time a deputy member of the party central committee and head of the think tank Arbeiderbevegelsens utredningskontor.
[4] Skogstad Aamo was then head of the department of economics in the European Free Trade Association from 1979 to 1981, and director[clarification needed] of the Regional Development Fund from 1981 to 1986.
Since Skogstad Aamo came directly from a government position, that of state secretary, parliament member Lars Gunnar Lie cited concern about a perceived lack of distance between the third cabinet Brundtland and the Financial Supervisory Authority.
The Financial Supervisory Authority would have a role in this scrutiny, and several people, including parliament member Kristin Halvorsen, asked for the appointment of Johnsen's party fellow be postponed until after the case was closed.
[5] On the other hand, conservative newspaper Aftenposten defended the decision in an op-ed the next day, citing Skogstad Aamo's strong qualifications for the job.
[8] The matters are complicated by Norway's close relations to Iceland, whose national crisis had consequences for Norwegian customers in the banks Glitnir and Kaupthing.