The record amount of whistleblower payouts by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in fiscal year 2020—$175 million, the most since the program issued its first award in 2012—happened because the agency made quickening the pace of awards a priority, whistleblower advocates say.
Stephen Kohn, chairman of the National Whistleblower Center and an attorney who represents whistleblowers before the SEC, cited a “tone at the top” for speeding up the award process.
