CRITICISM OF SEC CHIEF GROWS.(BUSINESS)

Byline: MARILYN GEEWAX Cox News Service

WASHINGTON -- Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Harvey Pitt, already the target of withering criticism from Democratic lawmakers, is coming under increasing pressure from business leaders.

``The last thing investors, business leaders and regulators need is the ongoing turmoil that we have seen at the SEC,'' Bruce Josten, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said.

The business community is tired of ``distractions and controversies'' at the agency charged with cleaning up the accounting profession and restoring investor confidence in financial markets, Josten said.

``The …