From 2011 to 2022, she served as the Special Inspector General of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, a federal law enforcement agency and an independent audit watchdog that targets financial institution crime and other fraud, waste, and abuse related to the TARP bailout.

On June 10, 2024 The Wall Street Journal reported that she was expected to be named as the chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to replace the outgoing Martin Gruenberg.

[9] In May 2017, Goldsmith Romero expressed concern over President Trump's budget cuts, saying they would interfere with the agency's ability to "conduct ongoing and new criminal investigations.

"[10] In August 2017, she told the Financial Times, "Our nation cannot afford to take our eye off the ball when it comes to crime or other illegal practices inside banks that require law enforcement response.

[12] In September 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Goldsmith Romero as a commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.