Wall St regulator defends steep staff cuts

(Reuters) -Wall Street's top regulator remains capable of policing markets despite steep recent cuts to agency staffing, Paul Atkins, the newly installed chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, told Congress on Tuesday. Hundreds of SEC staff since January have taken the Trump administration's early retirement and buyout offers, with key offices losing as many as one of every five employees, according to agency data. The cuts have created unease among career staff and prompted concern the agency's reduced capacity could hinder its ability to prevent fraud and market turmoil.