SEC nets $1.3M in off-channel comms sweep against municipal advisory firms
By 
Aaron Nicodemus2024-09-17T18:01:00
Fines for off-channel communications use by employees just keep on coming, with 12 municipal advisory firms fined a total of $1.3 million in the latest Securities and Exchange Commission sweep.
Kaufman Hall & Associates, together with Ponder & Company (which Kaufman Hall acquired in May 2023), drew the biggest fine ($325,000) from the SEC in this enforcement sweep, although it was really one fine that applied to two companies.
PFM Financial Advisors and Specialized Public Finance Inc. were each fined $250,000.
Related articles
-
News BriefSEC issues $63M in fines to dozen firms in ongoing off-channel comms sweep
Twelve more firms have been dinged with fines by the Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to properly supervise employees who used off-channel communications to conduct company business. In this latest round of enforcement actions, nine investment advisers and three broker-dealers will pay a total of $63 million.
-
News BriefRegs levy $120M in fines over off-channel comms with two firms avoiding penalties
Regulators continue to hammer firms with fines for violating rules regarding the use of unapproved communication methods by employees, issuing $120 million in fines this week. And for the first time, two firms were not fined because they self-reported their violations.
-
News BriefSix credit rating firms to pay $49M for off-channel comms violations
Six credit rating agencies will pay $49 million in fines to the Securities and Exchange Commission for allowing their employees to communicate on company business using nonapproved communication channels like Whats App and WeChat.
More from Regulatory Enforcement
-
News BriefDOJ targets $14.6B in health care fraud with focus on transnational crime
Emerging enforcement priorities of the U.S. Department of Justice’s health care fraud division align with the Trump administration’s emphasis on prosecuting transnational criminal organizations and ending opioid trafficking.
-
News BriefFTC raises antitrust concerns over $1.57B Circle K deal, orders divestitures
Since President Donald Trump took office, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has yet to keep up the level of enforcement it had under previous chair Lina Khan. The agency, however, returned to antitrust action in the case of fuel stations, just in time for the July 4th holiday.
-
News BriefJudge reinstates fired CPSC commissioners in latest battle over government cuts
In May, three commissioners for the Consumer Product Safety Commission were abruptly fired by President Donald Trump and sued for their jobs shortly after. A federal judge has ruled that the commissioners should be reinstated, although it’s unclear whether that ruling may itself be reversed.