Dallas Federal Reserve President Robert Kaplan on Monday announced his resignation, with the move coming in the wake of recent controversy over stock trades he made during the pandemic, when the Fed took extraordinary measures that lifted the economy and boosted markets. The announcement, which came in a Sept. 27 press release from the Dallas Fed, acknowledged the controversy surrounding his trading activity, which was permitted by the Fed’s ethics rules but sparked criticism over potential conflict of interest. Kaplan, who has served as the president and CEO of the Dallas Fed since 2015, will be retiring early, effective Oct. 8. “During my tenure, I have adhered to all Federal Reserve ethical standards and policies. My securities investing activities and disclosures met Bank compliance rules and standards,” Kaplan said in the announcement. Kaplan came under fire for making a number of individual stock trades in 2020, a year the Fed dropped interest rates …