Eight Enforcement Trends That Likely Will End Under A Trump SEC

The Voting Record and Public Statements of the Commissioners Provide a Roadmap

There has been much speculation on what SEC enforcement will look like under a new administration, especially now that President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former Commissioner Paul Atkins as the next SEC chair. To be sure, there will be a resetting of enforcement priorities under a new chair that comes with any change in administration. Clearly, some portion of the more aggressive enforcement cases and policies under current Chair Gensler will no longer be supported by the new, Republican‑controlled SEC — majority approval among the five Commissioners is required for any enforcement action. Indeed, the extensive voting record, speeches, public statements and dissents of the two current Republican Commissioners and former Commissioner Atkins provide some clues on the expected changes.