Key Takeaways
- In a statement, Woodcock said he planned to “execute the Chairman’s vision” in the role.
- Chairman Paul Atkins, who welcomed the appointment, said the division has undergone a “significant course correction” aimed at restoring congressional intent
- Woodcock takes over on May 4, with Sam Waldon continuing as acting director until then
In a major development, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has tapped David Woodcock to lead its division of enforcement, a month after its predecessor resigned.
Woodcock takes over on May 4, with Sam Waldon continuing as acting director until then. In a statement, Woodcock said he planned to “execute the Chairman’s vision” in the role.
Chairman Paul Atkins, who welcomed the appointment, said the division has undergone a “significant course correction” aimed at restoring congressional intent by prioritizing cases that provide meaningful investor protection and strengthen market integrity. “I am incredibly pleased to have David rejoin the SEC at this critical time, as we continue to focus on the types of misconduct that inflict the greatest harm to investors,” Atkins said, also crediting Waldon for his leadership during the transition.
During his prior SEC tenure, he served as a member of the Enforcement Advisory Committee, and created and served as chair of the SEC’s cross-office and cross-division Financial Reporting and Audit Task Force.
His predecessor Margaret Ryan resigned in March, and her exit has not gone unexamined. Several lawmakers have pressed for answers on whether she left due to the agency’s decision to drop crypto-related enforcement cases.
Senator Richard Blumenthal in a March 30 letter to Atkins stated: the agency “may have exercised preferential treatment for financial partners of President Trump against the advice and warnings of senior staff when the agency declined to litigate credible fraud cases.”
Separately, the SEC on Tuesday also released its enforcement results for the 2025 fiscal year, reporting seven crypto-related enforcement cases tied to registration issues and six related to the definition of a broker-dealer.
