Reuters: The Republican-led US SEC intensifies oversight of investigations

According to Reuters, lawyers at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have been told they must obtain approval from senior officials before launching formal investigations. This procedural change could slow down the investigation process. This change has not been reported previously. It is said that this adjustment was made under the new leadership team after Trump took office. Insiders, who asked for anonymity because this change has not yet been made public, say that typically, the SEC is managed by five commissioners (including a chairman), and it's an independent agency. Currently, there are three members on the commission including two Republicans and one Democrat. The commissioners of the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission are appointed by the President of United States. Recently some law enforcement officers were informed that all formal investigative orders - which are necessary for issuing testimonies or subpoenas - need to be approved by the commission first. Insiders say that previously this authority had been delegated to lower-level staff; while commissions could exercise veto power, they did not always do so.