He's an SEC Commissioner and former USAF Academy grad. This guy has "Boy Scout" written all over him and is VERY bright and unbiased. He's a former federal prosecutor, too.
Hicks is no dummy and I don't think the problem is short sellers. I think the problem is a well orchestrated pump and dump scheme/scam with fraudulent press releases that appealed to the naive and greedy so the even greedier could take the money and run (as in SELL and be gone). I think it's very sad that JESUS' good name was invoked to lure so many Evangelical Christians into investing.