Bart Chilton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bart Chilton
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission |
|
| In office August 8, 2007 – March 21, 2014 |
|
| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Reuben Jeffery III |
| Succeeded by | Sharon Y. Bowen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Bartholomew Hamilton Chilton
May 1, 1960 Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. |
| Died | April 27, 2019 (aged 58) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Sherry Daggett Chilton |
| Education | Purdue University (1979-1982) |
| Profession | Civil service |
Bartholomew Hamilton Chilton (May 1, 1960 – April 27, 2019) was an American government worker. He was known for working to protect everyday people in financial markets.
From 2007 to 2014, he served as a Commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This is a government group that watches over financial markets to make sure they are fair. Bart Chilton wrote a book called Ponzimonium: How Scam Artists Are Ripping Off America. In this book, he shared ways to spot and avoid financial scams. He strongly believed in setting rules, called "position limits," to stop big companies from unfairly controlling prices in markets. He also worked to uncover tricky practices in markets and wanted to make sure people who broke the law were held responsible.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Bart Chilton was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He grew up in Ogden Dunes, Indiana. His father and both grandfathers were engineers. An engineer is someone who designs and builds things. His father even invented a way to make a Christmas tree stand up by itself.
After finishing high school, Bart Chilton worked in a steel mill for a year. This experience made him feel strongly that someone needed to stand up for "the little guy." He started studying at Purdue University in 1979. He studied political science and communications. He left college early to work on political campaigns for the Democratic Party in 1984.
Working for the Government
Bart Chilton spent many years working in the U.S. government. From 1985 to 1995, he worked in the United States House of Representatives. He helped write laws for several members of Congress. He also led a group called the Congressional Rural Caucus, which focused on issues important to people in rural areas.
Later, he worked for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He helped the United States Secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman. He also worked with the United States Department of Agriculture, which helps farmers and makes sure our food is safe. From 2001 to 2005, he was a main advisor to Senator Tom Daschle.
In 2005, he joined the Farm Credit Administration. This group helps farmers get loans. After that, he worked for the National Farmers Union. Here, he helped represent family farmers across the country.
Commissioner at the CFTC
In August 2007, Bart Chilton became one of the five Commissioners at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The United States Senate approved his position after President Bush nominated him. The CFTC's job is to make sure that markets where things like oil, corn, and metals are traded are fair and honest.
Bart Chilton believed strongly in rules for these markets. He worked to put "position limits" in place. These rules stop any one person or company from buying or selling too much of something. This helps prevent them from unfairly changing prices. President Barack Obama nominated him again in 2009, and the Senate approved him once more.
In 2010, a person named Andrew Maguire told Bart Chilton about possible fraud in the markets for precious metals like silver. Bart Chilton took this seriously. He had an investigator from the CFTC look into it. Maguire even predicted a time when the silver market would be unfairly changed, and it happened just as he said.
Bart Chilton believed that laws were broken in the silver market. He wanted to see the people responsible face consequences. Some people even compared him to Eliot Ness, a famous law enforcer who fought crime.
In 2013, Bart Chilton became the head of the Global Markets Advisory Committee (GMAC). This group gives advice on how global markets should be regulated.
Later Life and Passing
In 2018, Bart Chilton started hosting a financial TV show called Boom Bust on RT America.
Bart Chilton passed away on April 27, 2019, in Washington, D.C.. He was 58 years old.
Personal Life
Bart Chilton was married to Sherry Daggett Chilton. In his later years, he lived in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He was easy to spot because he had long blond hair and often wore cowboy boots.
