U.S. Senator Accuses SEC Chair of Misleading Congress in Hearing, Questions Steep Decline in Enforcement Actions

BlockBeats News, April 18th, according to Decrypt, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (senior Democratic member of the Senate Banking Committee) wrote to SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, alleging that he may have "intentionally misled" Congress regarding the decline in the number of new SEC enforcement actions during a hearing on February 12th, and pointed out that if there were significant false statements made to Congress, it could involve criminal liability.

The report cited the SEC's disclosed 2025 enforcement data, stating that the SEC added a total of 456 enforcement actions last year, with approximately 200 originating from the previous administration and around 256 added during the current administration, significantly below the historical annual average of about 765. Warren believes that the sharp drop in enforcement actions, staff reductions, and sudden leadership changes may weaken the SEC's ability to protect investors and maintain market order, questioning whether there is political favoritism and selective enforcement. The SEC has declined to comment on this.