Judge Ideology and Opportunistic Insider Trading
研究发现，自由派法官比保守派法官对内幕交易案判处更重，且公司所在巡回法院自由派法官越多，机会主义内幕卖出越少，SEC在诉讼地选择上也会考虑法官意识形态。
Abstract Although federal judges are the ultimate arbiters of insider trading enforcement, the role of their political ideology in insider trading is unclear. Using the partisanship of judges’ nominating presidents to measure judge ideology, we first document that liberal judges are associated with heavier penalties in insider trading lawsuits than conservative judges. Next, we find that firms located in circuits with more liberal judges have fewer opportunistic insider sales. Cross-sectional analyses show that this deterrent effect is stronger when managers face a higher risk of insider trading lawsuits. Finally, we find that the Securities and Exchange Commission considers judges’ ideology when selecting litigation forums.