The commissioner may, after appropriate notice and opportunity for hearing, by order censure, deny a certificate to, or suspend for a period not exceeding 12 months or revoke the certificate of, an investment adviser, if the commissioner finds that the censure, denial, suspension, or revocation is in the public interest and that the investment adviser, whether prior or subsequent to becoming such, or any partner, officer or director thereof or any person performing similar functions or any person directly or indirectly controlling the investment adviser, whether prior or subsequent to becoming such, or any employee of the investment adviser while so employed has done any of the following:
(a)
Has willfully made or caused to be made in any application for a certificate or any report filed with the commissioner under this division, or in any proceeding before the commissioner, any statement which was at the time and in the light of the circumstances under which it was made false or misleading with respect to any material fact, or has willfully omitted to state in the application or report any material fact which is required to be stated therein.
(b)
Has been either (1) convicted of or has pled nolo contendere to any felony or misdemeanor, or (2) held liable in a civil action by final judgment of a court based upon conduct showing moral turpitude, and the commissioner finds that the felony, misdemeanor or civil action (A) involved the purchase or sale of any security, (B) arose out of the conduct of the business of a broker-dealer or investment adviser, (C) involved theft, or (D) involved the violation of Section 1341, 1342, or 1343 of Title 18 of the United States Code.
(c)
Is permanently or temporarily enjoined by order, judgment, or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction from acting as an investment adviser, underwriter or broker-dealer or as an affiliated person or employee of any investment company, bank, or insurance company, or from engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with that activity, or in connection with the purchase or sale of any security.
(d)
Is or has been subject to (1) any order of the Securities and Exchange Commission or the securities administrator of any other state denying or revoking or suspending his or her registration as an investment adviser, or investment adviser representative, or as a broker or dealer or agent, (2) any order of any national securities association or national securities exchange (registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) suspending or expelling him or her from membership in that association or exchange or from association with any member thereof, or (3) any other order of the commission or any administrator, association, or exchange referred to in this subdivision which is or has been necessary for the protection of any investor.
(e)
Has willfully violated any provision of the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Commodity Exchange Act, or Title 4 (commencing with Section 25000), including the Franchise Investment Law, Division 5 (commencing with Section 31000), or the California Commodity Law of 1990, Division 4.5 (commencing with Section 29500), or of any rule or regulation under any of those statutes, or any order of the commissioner which is or has been necessary for the protection of any investor.
(f)
Is or has been subject to (1) any order of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission denying registration to, or revoking or suspending the registration of, that person under the Commodity Exchange Act, (2) any order of any board of trade or commodity exchange, including, but not limited to, the New York Mercantile Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade, or the Chicago Board Options Exchange, suspending or expelling that person from membership in the board of trade or commodity exchange or from association with any member thereof, or (3) any other order of the commission or any board or exchange referred to in this subdivision which is or has been necessary for the protection of any investor.
(g)
Has aided, abetted, counseled, commanded, induced, or procured the violation by any other person of any statute or rule or regulation referred to in subdivision (e).
(h)
Has violated any provision of this division or the rules thereunder or, in the case of an applicant only, any similar regulatory scheme of the State of California or a foreign jurisdiction.