Harvey Pitt, a legal wunderkind who lasted just 18 months as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission under President George W. Bush, died on Tuesday in Washington. He was 78.

Harvey Pitt, a former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, died on Tuesday, according to a statement from the director of the SEC Historical Society shared with Reuters.

Harvey Pitt, who had turbulent reign as SEC chairman, dies at 78. He was among the nation’s foremost authorities on securities law, but political missteps damaged his credibility.