[2] He served from January 2000 to May 2002, after joining SEC staff as Deputy General Counsel in 1998, then, again, beginning in 2009,[1] after resigning as a partner of Cleary Gottlieb.
SEC Inspector General H. David Kotz discovered that, despite having a conflict of interest, Becker had worked on the Madoff investment scandal investigation; specifically, the Becker family had received a $2 million inheritance previously invested in a Madoff account.
[5] Becker stated: I have seen Inspector General Kotz do this before, make a big fuss... about sending reports to the Justice Department.
[7][8] SEC chairwoman Mary Schapiro then stated about the incident, "I wish that Mr. Becker had recused himself, absolutely.
"[3] On September 22, 2011, Becker testified before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services and the TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform about his role in advising the SEC related to the bankruptcy of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities.