- Chief Compliance Officer and VP of Legal Affairs, Arrow Electronics
By 
Kyle Brasseur2023-08-08T15:48:00
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) continued their crackdown on financial firms’ recordkeeping failures regarding employee use of off-channel communications for business with $555 million in total fines levied against nine institutions and their affiliates.
The penalties, announced Tuesday, mirror the agencies’ action last September, when they combined to fine nearly a dozen institutions more than $1.8 billion for widespread failures in monitoring, maintaining, and preserving electronic communications by employees. Of the latest group disciplined, Wells Fargo received the largest punishment in agreeing to pay $200 million total for admitted failures at several of its broker-dealer affiliates—an amount similar to fines the regulators have levied against other banks of its size.
“We’re pleased to resolve this matter,” a Wells Fargo spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
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The Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission have combined to levy about $2.8 billion in penalties (so far) against firms and their affiliates in response to recordkeeping failures regarding employee use of off-channel communications for business purposes.
Wells Fargo disclosed it is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding cash sweep options it provides to new investment advisory clients.
A dozen financial services firms were penalized by the Securities and Exchange Commission as the agency continues its enforcement sweep of recordkeeping violations regarding employee use of off-channel communications for business purposes.
RTX Corp., the parent company of Raytheon, disclosed in a public filing it has reserved $1.24 billion to resolve legacy legal matters with the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Department of State.
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority issued a fine of $4.5 million (3.5 million pounds) against a U.K.-based subsidiary of crypto platform Coinbase for providing services to high-risk customers in violation of FCA rules.
Admera Health agreed to pay more than $5.5 million to resolve allegations first brought by two whistleblowers that it paid kickbacks to third-party contractors, the Department of Justice said.
