There is a "horrible whispering campaign in Washington" against Federal Reserve Vice Chair Janet Yellen taking the top job, former FDIC chair Sheila Bair told CNBC on Tuesday.
The campaign against Yellen has been "tinged with sexist arguments," such as, 'Wouldn't be good in a crisis. Lacks gravitas,'" Bair said in a "Squawk Box" interview, explaining why she feels Yellen is the "best qualified for the job."
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"She's got deep experience, very well-respected, great public image. She's not part of the Wall Street club that we've drawn a lot from that group in key financial positions," Bair added.
"The Fed, the Treasury, the OCC [Office of the Comptroller of the Currency], the New York Fed, those are the four top jobs for Wall Street," she explained. "Never have they been headed by a woman."
"This is only about gender to the extent that I think that gender may be one factor if [Yellen] didn't get it," Bair asserted.