The SEC had scheduled a Sept. 2 vote on controversial changes to its whistleblower program that, if passed, could weaken the agency’s prohibition of retaliation against whistleblowers and limit large rewards. The meeting has been canceled.
Whistleblowers
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
Mass. pharma company will pay $20.75M to settle FCA lawsuit
A Massachusetts-based pharmaceutical company will pay $20.75 million settle a whistleblower’s allegations that the company knowingly promoted misleading instructions for a skin lesion drug that caused doctors to submit false claims to Medicare.
Posted inEthics & Culture
Wells Fargo must do more than pay to redeem fake account scandal
Wells Fargo is now operating under a different regime, but what have the billions of dollars the bank has spent in attending to the compliance failures that arose out of its fake account scandal delivered? Not enough, posits Martin Woods.
Posted inBoards & Shareholders
McDonald’s handling of ex-CEO scandal gets compliments, criticism
A fresh podcast from the Theranos whistleblower and a new compliance association for Black practitioners get a round of applause from us this week, while a complicated case involving McDonald’s lands the company on both the “Nailed It” and “Failed It” lists.
Posted inEthics & Culture
McDonald’s sues to claw back money from fired CEO after whistleblower complaint
An anonymous whistleblower’s complaint alleging sexual misconduct by fired McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook prompted the company to file a lawsuit attempting to claw back some of the $41 million severance package it paid upon his ouster.
Posted inRegulatory Policy
Sen. Grassley to propose whistleblower-friendly FCA amendments
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is working on legislation that would amend the False Claims Act in a way he says would strengthen the law’s core purpose of helping whistleblowers shine the light on wrongdoing and fraud.
Posted inWhistleblowers
CFTC awards $9M to whistleblower
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission awarded $9 million to a whistleblower whose “specific, credible, and timely tip’ led to a successful enforcement action. The payout is one of the five largest awarded by the regulator since 2014.
Posted inAnti-Bribery
Medical device maker projects $18M to settle FCA violations alleged by former CCO
Evidence of kickbacks and bribes brought to light by a whistleblower and former chief compliance officer has led Merit Medical Systems to reach an estimated $18 million agreement in principle with the DOJ to settle False Claims Act allegations.
Posted inWhistleblowers
SEC continues whistleblower payout surge with $3.8M award
The Securities and Exchange Commission has paid out approximately $119 million to 20 whistleblowers in the past 10 months, a trend the agency continued with the latest announcement of a $3.8 million award.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
UHS settles FCA allegations for $122M
Whistleblowers will receive a $16.7 million payday as part of a $122 million settlement between the Department of Justice and Universal Health Services.
