U.S. SEC chief Clayton to exit agency after Dec. 23

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FILE PHOTO: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton, testifies before a House Committee on Financial Services hearing entitled “Capital Markets and Emergency Lending in the COVID-19 Era” in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 25, 2020. Rod Lamkey/Pool via REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton will leave the agency on Dec. 23, he said in a statement.

Clayton announced his exit Wednesday, and recently sent a letter to President Donald Trump informing him of his planned exit date. Clayton had previously said he would step down from the agency at the end of the year, and the letter did not say who would lead the agency in his absence.