SEC Enforcement Actions Drop Under Atkins Leadership
(Bloomberg) — Enforcement cases brought by the top Wall Street watchdog dropped about 25% in the first full fiscal year of the Trump-era Securities and Exchange Commission, the agency reported Tuesday.
The SEC brought 348 enforcement actions in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the agency said, compared to more than 450 the year before, which included the last months of the Biden administration.
The drop reflects an unusual year for the agency, with abrupt leadership changes and a record 43-day government shutdown that paused almost all investigations. It also signals the SEC’s shift in how it polices the market, with leaders touting what the report described as a “return to basics” list of priorities including market manipulation, fraud, and insider trading
“Enforcement actions and financial remedies are important measures of activity, but they are not the only or most telling measures,” SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said in a statement. “Our responsibility is to apply the law fairly and consistently and ensure that our enforcement efforts advance the commission’s mission.”
