Warren Says SEC's Atkins Misled Congress About Sharp Drop in Enforcement

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, wrote this week to SEC Chair Paul Atkins, accusing him of deliberately misleading Congress at a Feb. 12 hearing about a decline in the agency's enforcement activity, according to Decrypt. New SEC figures show the agency opened 456 enforcement cases in 2025, including 256 during the Trump administration, well below the 10-year annual average of 765. Warren said the steep fall in enforcement, deep staff cuts and abrupt leadership changes are fueling concerns about whether the SEC remains willing and able to protect investors.