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.
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.
Dems 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.
CFTC awards more than $6M to whistleblower
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced a whistleblower award of more than $6 million to a tipster who voluntarily provided original information that led the CFTC to bring a successful enforcement action.
SEC announces record whistleblower award of nearly $50M
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced its largest ever whistleblower award to a single individual at nearly $50 million while denying a second claimant a share of the bounty.
Analysis: When a bonus becomes less incentive, and more compromise
Financial crime expert Martin Woods explores what happens when the annual bonus causes employees to disregard their values for want of a dollar.
Analysis: VW ‘deliberately immoral’ ruling pushes governance lessons
A look at a recent court case against car manufacturer Volkswagen once again places the company in the spotlight but, perhaps more importantly, offers some lessons in how to live up to shareholder expectations of good governance that protects their investment.
Why a ‘don’t put that into writing’ request should raise a red flag
The next time someone tells you not to take notes during a meeting, think about why they’re making that request. It’s almost never a good idea to agree to it, writes financial crime expert Martin Woods.
Coronavirus has made CW2020 a (virtual) gathering like no other
The coronavirus pandemic has made getting together for our annual National Conference impossible, but it’s also made this virtual gathering (Monday and Tuesday) perhaps the most important one we’ve ever had.
SEC, DOJ ordered to review RBS whistleblower’s claim on $4.9B settlement
A federal appeals court ordered two federal agencies to review the whistleblower claims of a former Royal Bank of Scotland employee who is seeking a slice of a nearly $5 billion settlement.
VP’s abrupt exit paints Amazon as coronavirus villain
Saying there is “evidence of a vein of toxicity” running through Amazon’s company culture, a now-former VP is the most prominent voice to speak out against the tech behemoth’s actions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Whistleblowers have never been more important … or more targeted
If there’s anything to be learned from recent examples, it’s that whistleblowers do more than anyone to speak truth to power. That’s why it’s so important they are both listened to and properly protected and rewarded.
Compliance personnel face risks and rewards as SEC whistleblowers
These best practices will guide compliance practitioners turned whistleblower through the process of reporting wrongdoing while protecting themselves from harm.
Analysis: Luckin Coffee saga a case of déjà vu?
Financial crime expert Martin Woods ponders how the SEC can ensure foreign companies, like China-based Luckin Coffee, that publicly trade in the U.S. can apply the proper standards of compliance, financial reporting, and even whistleblower protections.
SEC hands out second top-10 whistleblower award this month
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced the award of $18 million to a whistleblower, continuing a two-month surge in payouts by the agency that has now seen two of its largest bounties to date.
Best practices for maintaining a healthy incident-response program
NAVEX Global’s annual “Risk & Compliance Hotline Benchmark Report” provides chief ethics and compliance officers with best practices on how the performance of their hotline and incident-management programs stack up against their peers.
Analysis: EY now faces questions of trust
In the case of Amjad Rihan versus EY, a question of trust has opened a can of worms. Financial crime expert Martin Woods explores.
Analysis: EY brand takes beating in case vs. whistleblower
What does the Amjad Rihan case do to the brand of EY and, more pointedly, those who spend time with EY as clients? Financial crime expert Martin Woods offers his take.
Terminated whistleblower receives $5M SEC award
A whistleblower terminated by his or her company soon after raising concerns internally about discovered misconduct was the recipient of a $5 million SEC payout—the seventh by the agency in the last month.
U.K. court orders EY to pay $11M to whistleblower, a former partner
A former EY partner who blew the whistle on a massive money laundering scheme was awarded nearly $11 million by a U.K. judge, settling a lawsuit in which he claimed EY buried an audit that uncovered wrongdoing by a client.
SEC awards whistleblower sixth-largest payment ever: $27 million
A whistleblower has been awarded $27 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the largest award this year and the sixth-largest payout ever.
SEC continues whistleblower award surge with $2M payout
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced the award of $2 million to a whistleblower—its fifth payout in the last 12 days. For the year, the SEC has already matched its 2019 total of eight awards.
SEC issues rare compliance-related whistleblower award
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced it would award $450,000 to a whistleblower with compliance-related responsibilities—a rarity in the program’s history.
SEC awards $1.6M to whistleblower for case-opening intel
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced an award of more than $1.6 million to a whistleblower whose information formed part of the basis for charges brought in a successful enforcement action.
Ethics and compliance lessons from Astros’ cheating scandal
The Astros’ sign-stealing scandal offers important lessons for leaders of all organizations about the risks associated with a win-at-all-costs or short-term outlook.
10 takeaways from ‘Science of Workplace Investigations’
A former U.S. Department of Justice attorney laid bare the tools in his “lie detection” toolbox to help compliance officers manage this responsibility.
CFPB the latest federal agency to propose whistleblower program
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants Congress to authorize a program that would reward whistleblowers who provide tips leading to successful prosecutions.
DOJ intervenes in whistleblower suit against Mallinckrodt
The Department of Justice has intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit against Mallinckrodt over allegations the drug maker knowingly underpaid Medicaid rebates it owed due to significant price increases to its drug Acthar.
SEC hands out largest whistleblower award in nearly a year
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced the award of more than $7 million to a whistleblower who provided “extensive and ongoing assistance” during the course of an investigation.
SEC subpoenas Mattel in accounting probe
Mattel announced it has received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking documents related to a previously disclosed investigation that had uncovered accounting errors.
Whistleblowers finding system stacked against them
Are whistleblowers getting the short end of the stick? A recent case highlights one way in which the process for government rewards might be perceived as unfair.
SEC issues first whistleblower awards of 2020
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced its first whistleblower awards of the new year in connection with two separate enforcement actions.
NAVEX Global: Top 10 compliance trends for 2020
A recent Webinar, and complementary report, from NAVEX Global offers a look at the top 10 risk and compliance trends for 2020.
My Compliance Library: ‘Crisis of Conscience’ explores whistleblower culture
The latest installment of My Compliance Library examines “Crisis of Conscience,” a wide-ranging look at whistleblowers and the toxic cultures that lead to their critical role in enacting change.
Teva to pay $54M in FCA whistleblower settlement
Teva Pharmaceuticals has reached a $54 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by two whistleblowers over allegations the drug company bribed physicians through numerous “sham” speaker programs in exchange for prescribing Teva drugs.
Special report: Compliance 2020
CW Editor in Chief Dave Lefort offers 10 predictions on what will dominate compliance headlines in 2020.
Apple, Walmart among compliance winners of 2019
Strong social stances, a dedication to doing what’s right, and leading by example highlight the qualities exemplified by our list of ethics and compliance winners of 2019.
CFTC awards more than $1M to internal compliance whistleblower
The CFTC announced a whistleblower award north of $1 million for a tipster who went through internal compliance at his or her company to get the information to regulators.
Alleged compliance failures at Omnicare lead to healthcare fraud lawsuit
A series of alleged compliance failures at pharmaceutical services provider Omnicare has resulted in the Department of Justice intervening in yet another civil healthcare fraud lawsuit against the company.
SEC’s Clayton: Talk of whistleblower cap ‘misguided’
Amid controversy surrounding proposed changes to the SEC’s whistleblower program, Chairman Jay Clayton continues to stress any adjustments won’t include a cap on awards.
SEC awards three whistleblowers $260,000
The SEC has awarded over $260,000 to three individuals who jointly submitted a tip alerting the agency to a well-concealed fraud targeting retail investors that led to a successful enforcement action. The whistleblowers were, themselves, harmed investors.
SEC sees slight decrease in number of whistleblower tips fielded
The Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to Congress, indicated it fielded 5,212 whistleblower tips in fiscal year 2019, down 1 percent from the record of 5,282 in FY2018.
Sutter Health pays $30M in lawsuit
Healthcare services provider Sutter Health will pay $30.5 million in a lawsuit filed by a former compliance officer alleging fraud and kickbacks, though Sutter did not admit laibility and points out there was no finding that Sutter violated anti-kickback laws.
CFTC whistleblower payouts, tips received drop in FY2019
The CFTC made a handful of big payouts to whistleblowers in fiscal year 2019, but denied awards on 129 applications in the same timeframe.
Ask Amii mailbag: Steps to encourage employees to speak up
This edition of the Ask Amii mailbag offers tips on how to ensure your employees feel safe blowing the whistle, suggestions for encouraging collaboration, and advice for data managers on how to manage data ethically and responsibly in a segmented firm.
Mattel ousts CFO after accounting probe reveals weaknesses
Following an investigation spurred by a whistleblower letter, Mattel announced it has uncovered material weaknesses in its internal controls over financial reporting and is now working to remediate the issues.
EY accused in U.K. gold-laundering scheme
Big Four audit firm EY has been accused of covering up evidence of smuggling by an organized crime gang that was laundering British drug money through gold dealings, according to an investigation by the BBC.
Unethical practices at Infosys? SEC opens probe
The SEC has launched an investigation into Infosys based on an anonymous letter the agency received from several Infosys employees alleging CEO Salil Parekh forced them to engage in “disturbing unethical practices.”
Senators call out SEC over PCAOB whistleblower report
A letter sent by two senators addressed to SEC Chairman Jay Clayton critiques the regulator’s oversight of the PCAOB as showing “questionable judgment and an alarming lack of transparency.”
Fourth time a charm? Senate again passes whistleblower protection bill
The U.S. Senate has once again passed an act to allow employees who believe they are the victim of retaliation to file a complaint with the Secretary of Labor and to be reinstated to their former status if the Secretary finds in their favor.