U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regulates the securities markets and enforces federal securities law, including disclosure obligations and rules against market abuse. Entries naming it from 2025 onward record enforcement decisions not taken and the regulatory treatment of firms with commercial ties to federal officials.
2026 Events (2)
Trump's 2025 disclosure showed he traded Coinbase and Robinhood stock repeatedly after his SEC dropped enforcement cases against both
Trump's 2025 annual financial disclosure, released June 30, 2026 by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, shows the president purchased Coinbase and Robinhood stock on January 29, 2025 — weeks before his SEC dismissed its enforcement cases against both companies in late February 2025 — then traded both repeatedly for the rest of the year. The filing records 15 Coinbase purchases ($310,000–$875,000 combined) and 8 sales ($334,000–$760,000) between March and December 2025, 12 Robinhood purchases ($359,000–$910,000), and roughly $2.33 million in validator rewards through two Coinbase staking agreements.
Public Citizen found agencies canceled or froze 159 corporate enforcement actions in Trump's first year, many tied to inaugural donors
A Public Citizen report published January 15, 2026 found that during the first year of President Trump's second term, federal agencies — including the Justice Department, SEC, FTC, and CFPB — canceled or froze 159 enforcement actions against 166 corporations that had been under federal investigation or prosecution. Of the companies that received favorable treatment, 31 had donated to Trump's inauguration or White House ballroom fund, a pattern the group had flagged in advance in an April 2025 analysis warning the donations "may serve as down payments" for dropped cases. The report documents the systemic collapse of corporate enforcement rather than asserting a proven quid pro quo in any individual case.
2025 Events (2)
SEC dismissed civil fraud cases against Trump clemency recipients Devon Archer and Carlos Watson
On September 18, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission moved to dismiss with prejudice its civil fraud enforcement actions against Devon Archer and Carlos Watson (and Ozy Media, Inc.), two men President Trump had granted clemency for related criminal fraud convictions. The dismissals, entered by separate joint stipulations filed the same day, ended years of SEC efforts to recover funds tied to their conduct. The Commission issued no public explanation, stating in each filing only that it had "exercised its discretion."
SEC dismissed its civil fraud case against Nikola founder Trevor Milton after his Trump pardon
On September 11, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a joint stipulation dismissing with prejudice its civil fraud enforcement action against Nikola founder Trevor Milton in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The dismissal followed President Trump's March 27, 2025 pardon of Milton on his related criminal securities-fraud conviction, ending the SEC's remaining case against him. It paralleled the Commission's dismissals a week later of civil actions against two other Trump clemency recipients, Devon Archer and Carlos Watson.