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.
Whistleblowers
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.
Posted inEthics & Culture
CCO Hinton leaves Google to advise whistleblower startup
Andy Hinton told CNBC he left his longtime position as vice president and chief compliance officer at Google in March as he looks toward a new role advising a startup that offers a whistleblower app.
Posted inAnti-Bribery
Novartis’ latest settlements: $729M in kickback charges
A week after resolving FCPA investigations for $347 million, Swiss pharmaceutical drug maker Novartis will pay another $729 million in separate settlements related to kickback schemes.
Posted inRegulatory Policy
Democrats propose coronavirus whistleblower protection bill
A group of prominent Democratic legislators has proposed a whistleblower protection bill designed to help uncover fraud and waste in the trillions of dollars worth of coronavirus-relief funds allocated by Congress.
