Dan Berkovitz, General Counsel at the Securities and Exchange Commission, is departing the agency amid reports that he had met and dined with disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried.

In an announcement last week, the SEC said that he is departing his role at the agency effective January 31. Megan Barbero, currently SEC Principal Deputy General Counsel, will be appointed General Counsel following his departure. 

Berkovitz was an ally of FTX within the financial regulatory agency and had meetings with Bankman-Fried and other crypto lobbyists, the Washington Examiner reported. The media claimed that it has viewed emails that suggest the SEC official had a warm relationship with SBF. 

(By Ruholamin Haqshanas)