Paul Atkins, who was appointed by George W. Bush to serve as an SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008, later founded Patomak Global Partners in 2009, a consulting firm whose clients were banks, crypto exchanges, including FTX and DeFi platforms

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Atkins founded the consulting firm Patomak Global Partners in 2009, and the firm has clients including banks, crypto exchanges and DeFi platforms, according to its website. Atkins was appointed by former President George W. Bush as an SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008.

According to multiple news reports, including The Wall Street Journal, FTX was a client of Patomak Global Partners and signed on as an adviser to FTX in early 2022. FTX filed for bankruptcy in late 2022 and the exchange's CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, was found guilty in November 2023 of seven criminal counts.