SiliconBeat

When John Thompson stepped down as CEO of Symantec last year, there was serious speculation that he would be tapped by newly elected President Barack Obama for the job of commerce secretary or some tech-related government gig. Now it turns out he is going to work for the feds, but in a somewhat different field.

Thompson, a veteran tech executive who’s also been an active supporter of Democratic causes, was appointed this week by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve on a Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, created by Congress to investigate the causes of the nation’s economic mess. Pelosi, D-San Francisco, also named Phil Angelides, the former California state treasurer, and Brooksley Born, the former chairwoman of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission.

All told, the panel has ten members, appointed by Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate. It sounds like they have plenty of work ahead, with a full report due by the end of 2010. But it’s apparently not a full-time job; Thompson is still serving as chairman of Symantec’s board.