Former CEO of AI recruiter Joonko charged with $27M fraud
The former chief executive officer of closed AI recruitment startup Joonko faces up to 40 years in prison and the potential of penalties levied by the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly defrauding investors of more than $27 million.
PCAOB Chair Williams appointed to second term
Erica Williams was reappointed to a second term as chair of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board after an ambitious first three years in the role that have seen the agency work to update many of its standards deemed outdated.
HF Foods to pay $3.9M to settle execs’ alleged fraud
Food service distributor HF Foods Group agreed to pay a $3.9 million penalty as part of a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding alleged fraudulent conduct carried out by its former chief executive officer and former chief financial officer.
Reignited calls to tighten up AML in London, crown dependencies
Despite repeated interventions, fines, and negative publicity, money laundering is rife in U.K. financial services firms, according to Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell.
Epoch Times CFO charged in $67M money laundering scheme
The chief financial officer of the Epoch Times was charged with laundering at least $67 million in illegally obtained funds to bolster the fortunes of the newspaper and himself.
Autodesk says no restatements following accounting probe
Software company Autodesk said it won’t restate several years of financial statements following an audit committee investigation into potential accounting misconduct.
Treasury, other agencies issue voluntary carbon market principles
The Treasury Department and other U.S. agencies announced a coordinated federal policy concerning carbon credits and other voluntary incentives to encourage businesses and agriculture to cut their carbon footprints.
Broadway Financial discloses ICFR weaknesses due to training shortfalls
Los Angeles-based bank holding company Broadway Financial Corp. disclosed in a public filing weaknesses discovered in its internal control over financial reporting because of training shortfalls.
PCAOB dings MaloneBailey $400K over ‘pervasive’ quality control violations
Audit firm MaloneBailey agreed to pay a $400,000 fine to settle allegations levied by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board over “pervasive” quality control violations.
DOJ orders Evoqua to pay $8.5M over admitted securities fraud
Evoqua Water Technologies agreed to pay $8.5 million as part of a nonprosecution agreement with the Department of Justice to settle admitted criminal charges related to fraudulent revenue recognition.
SEC chief accountant calls out audit leadership culture
Staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission have observed instances of audit firms setting poor examples for junior-level employees by failing to properly discipline senior leaders found to have breached ethical standards, according to Chief Accountant Paul Munter.
Crowe U.K. dinged $181K by FRC for Aseana Properties audit failures
Crowe U.K. was assessed a penalty of £144,000 (U.S. $181,000) by the U.K. Financial Reporting Council for failures in its audit of Aseana Properties Limited’s financial statements for the year ended Dec. 31, 2019.
PCAOB reestablishes its fundamentals with new standards
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board adopted two new standards that address key audit areas upon which it was relying on benchmarks established more than 20 years ago.
FAT Brands on defense over DOJ, SEC accounting misconduct allegations
Restaurant operator FAT Brands said it would contest charges announced by the Department of Justice regarding violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act related to personal loans made to executive officers.
FRC fines PwC, EY for London Capital & Finance audit failings
Big Four firms PwC and EY were each penalized by the Financial Reporting Council for alleged shortcomings during their respective audits at collapsed investment firm London Capital & Finance.
‘Sham audit mill’: SEC fines, permanently suspends BF Borgers
BF Borgers was all but shuttered by the Securities and Exchange Commission after the agency accused the firm of massive fraud impacting more than 1,500 SEC filings audited over a 2 1/2-year span.
PCAOB removes redactions on 2022 KPMG inspection
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board published the full results of its 2022 inspection for Big Four firm KPMG after its initial report contained more than two dozen redactions.
Accountancy bodies urge ethical behavior amid exam cheating scandals
Trust in the integrity of corporate finance and auditing is vital, but repeated scandals over exam cheating at the largest multinational firms are denting faith in the system globally.
ADM CFO to depart amid accounting probes
Food processing company ADM announced Chief Financial Officer Vikram Luthar, who was placed on administrative leave in January amid a probe into the company’s accounting practices, will resign.
Report: Poor awareness of supply chain disclosure regs leaving firms exposed
Compliance failures in the supply chain are hampering organizations’ efforts to implement environmental, social, and governance initiatives and meet disclosure requirements, according to a new report by U.K. law firm Burges Salmon.
CPE Webcast: Mitigating risk: Strengthening control and compliance
Today’s compliance professionals face increasing pressures from talent shortages, a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, and rising transaction volumes—increasing both complexity and risk.
June 25 | Risk management at the speed of business
Are your risk management operations keeping up with the speed of business? In today’s digitized and interconnected world, organizations face increasing risk at a rapid pace.
KPMG Netherlands fined record $25M by PCAOB for exam cheating
KPMG Netherlands agreed to pay a record $25 million penalty levied by the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board for allegedly allowing widespread cheating by employees on internal training exams and misinforming regulators about the misconduct.
Grant Thornton UK dinged $51K for pension fund audit lapses
Grant Thornton UK was assessed a penalty of £40,000 (U.S. $51,000) by the Financial Reporting Council for alleged procedure failures affecting the firm’s audit of a local authority’s pension fund.
Legal pushback prompts SEC to stay climate-related disclosure rule
The Securities and Exchange Commission delayed implementation of its climate-related disclosure rule until the courts can rule on appeals filed in response to the controversial policy.
Ebix: SEC probe into short seller claims closed
Ebix announced the Securities and Exchange Commission closed an investigation into allegations against the software company’s accounting practices raised in a short seller report.
PwC fined $2.75M by PCAOB for independence process breakdowns
Big Four audit firm PwC was assessed a $2.75 million penalty by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board for failures in its auditor independence processes related to a 2018 engagement.
Chemours: DOJ, SEC probing exec accounting misconduct
Chemours disclosed it received requests for information from the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission regarding findings from an internal review into alleged accounting misconduct by several of its top executives.
NAVEX whistleblower report finds third parties lead on business integrity
A new report on corporate whistleblowing and hotline trends in 2023 found reporting volume at an all-time high, with key disparities uncovered between reports filed by third parties and those filed by employees.
Equinix probing short seller accusations amid DOJ scrutiny
Data center owner Equinix disclosed it launched an independent investigation to review matters referenced in a recent short seller report that also caught the attention of the Department of Justice.
PCAOB fines KPMG China partners combined $150K over audit violations
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board imposed collective fines totaling $150,000 against three partners at KPMG China for violations of standards related to their audit work at education service provider Tarena International.
Short seller accuses Equinix of ‘selling AI pipe dream,’ accounting manipulation
Data center owner Equinix boasts artificial intelligence as a boon to business when power consumption costs related to implementing AI could be detrimental to its profitability, according to short seller Hindenburg Research.
Ex-Stericycle finance director charged for bribery scheme role
A former finance director at medical waste disposal company Stericycle faces Department of Justice charges for his alleged role in a bribery scheme that led the company to an $84 million settlement regarding violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Experts: Legal noise around SEC climate disclosure rule no excuse for standing still
Legal experts are advising their public company clients to move forward with plans to comply with the SEC’s climate-related disclosure rule, despite lawsuits and other challenges being brought against the controversial policy in the aftermath of its approval.
CFTC awards $1.25M to compliance/audit whistleblower
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced a landmark whistleblower award of approximately $1.25 million to an individual in an internal compliance or audit function who came forward with information on misconduct occurring at his or her employer.
The auditor’s role in supply chain due diligence
Although compliance should be the company’s primary responsibility, auditors have become the last line of defense and are getting pressured and blamed for supply chain issues, including instances of child labor. Is this expected to become the normal for the profession?
Study: Climate transition impact reporting still lacking
Large polluters are failing to account for climate change impact and adaptation, but policymakers need to harmonize disclosure requirements to drive coherent action.
DOJ joins SEC in probing ADM accounting practices
ADM disclosed the Department of Justice joined the Securities and Exchange Commission in probing the food processing company’s accounting practices.
Chemours says probe found accounting misconduct by execs
Chemours said an internal review into the actions of senior managers alleged to have engaged in accounting misconduct uncovered violations of the chemicals company’s code of ethics regarding the promotion of full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure.
PCAOB 2022 inspection reports: Big Four setbacks; KPMG redacted
Three of the Big Four audit firms saw increases to the deficiency rates observed in their latest Public Company Accounting Oversight Board inspection reports, while KPMG had its results redacted.
Concessions can’t save ‘cursed’ SEC climate disclosure rule from scrutiny
The Securities and Exchange Commission finally approved its ground-breaking climate-related disclosure rule, nearly two years since it was originally proposed. Though the agency significantly watered down aspects of its proposal, the rule is already facing the prospect of legal challenge.
Experts: What to expect ahead of SEC climate-related disclosure rule vote
Nearly two years after it was first proposed, the Securities and Exchange Commission is finally poised to approve its climate-related disclosure rule—albeit a watered-down version, by all indications.
KPMG fined $1.9M by FRC over M&C Saatchi audit lapses
KPMG agreed to pay a reduced penalty of nearly £1.5 million (U.S. $1.9 million) assessed by the U.K. Financial Reporting Council addressing admitted failings in the Big Four audit firm’s financial year 2018 work at advertising services company M&C Saatchi.
Struggling NYCB refreshes risk, audit leadership
New York Community Bancorp, a mid-sized bank struggling with precarious commercial loans and troubles with its acquisition of the failed Signature Bank last year, named a new chief risk officer and chief audit executive.
SEC charges Lordstown Motors with misleading EV investors
Bankrupt electric vehicle maker Lordstown Motors Corp. agreed to pay disgorgement of $25.5 million to settle charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission over alleged materially false and misleading statements regarding its flagship truck.
Chemours places senior execs on leave over accounting review
Chemours announced it placed its chief executive officer, chief financial officer, and principal accounting officer on leave pending completion of an internal review into potential material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting.
ADM delays annual report filing amid ICFR assessment
ADM disclosed it will be late in filing its annual report for 2023 as it continues to investigate potential accounting improprieties regarding its nutrition reporting segment.
U.K. governance code revisions: Boards lead on culture, audit supports
Corporate culture, internal controls, and assurance moved up the boardroom agenda with the publication of the U.K.’s revised corporate governance code and its supporting guidance.
China-based Cloopen Group avoids fine in SEC accounting fraud case
China-based technology company Cloopen Group Holding won’t pay a fine in settling with the Securities and Exchange Commission over an alleged accounting fraud scheme perpetrated by two of its former senior managers.
Q&A: LKQ sustainability VP on importance of environmental data
Richard Brasher, vice-president of sustainability at multinational automotive parts company LKQ Corp., discusses with Compliance Week his view on the added attention sustainability initiatives are receiving and where improvement remains.