Whistleblowers


WhistleblowerEmployee

News Brief

CFTC awards $1.25M to compliance/audit whistleblower

2024-03-15T11:41:00+00:00By

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.

London cityscape

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SFO director support for whistleblower incentives enough to drive change?

2024-03-11T12:47:00+00:00By

When Nick Ephgrave of the Serious Fraud Office said in his maiden speech he favored paying whistleblowers in exchange for information, he might not have been fully aware of the implications, according to legal experts.

DOJ

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DOJ eyeing more FCPA cases with whistleblower program

2024-03-08T18:33:00+00:00By

The Department of Justice anticipates its upcoming whistleblower reward program will help the agency increase its pipeline of cases involving apparent violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri.

Chemours

News Brief

Chemours says probe found accounting misconduct by execs

2024-03-08T16:09:00+00:00By

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.

Whistle

News Brief

DOJ on sprint toward pilot whistleblower reward program

2024-03-07T21:07:00+00:00By

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the Department of Justice will look to fill gaps in its whistleblower procedures with the launch of a 90-day sprint toward a DOJ-led pilot whistleblower reward program.

Chemours

News Brief

Chemours places senior execs on leave over accounting review

2024-03-04T11:23:00+00:00By

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.

Dark money

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FinCEN head touts compliance through enforcement approach

2024-02-27T19:01:00+00:00By

Andrea Gacki, head of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, said recent enforcement actions by the agency have addressed significant gaps in the U.S. anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism regime and exposed specific risk factors, trends, and typologies.

CFTC

News Brief

CFTC appoints new head of whistleblower office

2024-02-16T16:53:00+00:00By

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission appointed Brian Young as director of its whistleblower office.

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New SFO director vows quicker cases, stumps for whistleblower payouts

2024-02-14T21:21:00+00:00By

“Under my leadership, the SFO will be bolder, more pragmatic, more proactive,” said Nick Ephgrave in his first public speech as head of the U.K. Serious Fraud Office.

Whistle

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Experts: SCOTUS ruling shifts onus to employers in whistleblower cases

2024-02-12T21:35:00+00:00By

The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to reaffirm whistleblower protections under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a case involving UBS has wide ramifications in many other industries beyond financial services, according to legal experts.

Supreme Court

News Brief

SCOTUS reaffirms whistleblower protections in ruling against UBS

2024-02-09T20:27:00+00:00By

The Supreme Court reaffirmed whistleblower protections guaranteed under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a unanimous decision expected to set a precedent that impacts all corporate internal reporting cases.

Norton

News Brief

Court bumps Gen Digital false claims judgment to $53M

2024-01-18T18:41:00+00:00By

An opinion in a long-running court case involving software company Gen Digital and alleged violations of the False Claims Act saw proposed costs in the matter jump from $1.3 million to approximately $53 million following successful arguments by the U.S. government.

JPMorgan Chase

News Brief

JPMorgan to pay record $18M for violating SEC whistleblower rule

2024-01-16T15:51:00+00:00By

A subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase will pay an $18 million fine to the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly violating the agency’s whistleblower protection rule in hundreds of settlement agreements with clients and customers.

Whistle - dark

News Brief

SDNY launches whistleblower pilot program

2024-01-11T16:39:00+00:00By

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York took its efforts to encourage voluntary self-disclosure a step further with the launch of a whistleblower pilot program for individuals involved in nonviolent offenses.

DOJSeal

News Brief

Atlantic Home Health Care to pay $10M over energy program false claims

2024-01-08T12:28:00+00:00By

Atlantic Home Health Care LLC agreed to pay nearly $10 million as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice addressing the alleged submission of false claims to the Department of Labor’s Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program.

ChristianaCare

News Brief

Ex-ChristianaCare CCO wins $12M in False Claims Act settlement

2023-12-27T17:52:00+00:00By

The former chief compliance officer of ChristianaCare Health System will receive more than $12 million as part of a settlement addressing his allegations of kickbacks and other False Claims Act violations at the Delaware-based hospital network.

Philips

News Brief

Philips unit settles DOJ false claims case for $14.7M

2023-12-20T14:41:00+00:00By

Wireless medical technology company BioTelemetry and its subsidiary LifeWatch Services agreed to pay more than $14.7 million as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice regarding alleged false claims submitted to federal healthcare programs.

MedicalBilling

News Brief

Community Health Network to pay $345M in historic Stark Law case

2023-12-19T22:20:00+00:00By

Indiana-based Community Health Network agreed to pay $345 million as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice resolving allegations it overcompensated physicians it employed at a rate that violated the Stark Law.

Discover Financial Services

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Five compliance triumphs from 2023

2023-12-13T15:00:00+00:00By

A financial services giant’s compliance mea culpa that could serve to benefit the rest of the profession, a chemical company’s praised FCPA settlement, and an example of the value of whistleblowers highlight CW’s annual list of laudable ethics and compliance moments.

Financial Investigation

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One company’s voluntary self-disclosure, two companies’ FCPA settlements

2023-11-30T20:54:00+00:00By

Nicole Argentieri, acting head of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, explained how the actions of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group Holdings coming forward helped bring about the agency’s recent FCPA enforcements against Tysers Insurance Brokers and H.W. Wood.

Kyle Welch, Associate Professor, George Washington University

Podcast

Digital Transformation of Compliance podcast: GWU Professor Kyle Welch

2023-11-28T17:00:00+00:00By

In this episode of the Digital Transformation of Compliance podcast series, Kyle Welch, a George Washington University associate professor of accountancy, discusses findings from his research on internal whistleblowing and compliance dashboards built by publicly traded U.S. companies to leverage hotline data.

SEC office

News Brief

SEC lauds cooperators, whistleblowers in FY23 enforcement results

2023-11-15T15:46:00+00:00By

A big year for disgorgement helped the Securities and Exchange Commission to its second highest total of financial remedies ordered in a single year in fiscal year 2023.

CWE2023 Whistleblower panel

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Companies must set clear tone under EU whistleblower rules

2023-11-14T16:27:00+00:00By

With a moving target for compliance under the EU’s Whistleblower Directive, the opportunity exists for companies to set their own standards on whistleblowing and engender greater trust among employees, according to a panel at Compliance Week’s Europe conference in London.

Crypto scam

News Brief

CFTC: ‘Majority’ of FY23 whistleblower cases related to crypto fraud

2023-11-03T09:39:00+00:00By

Most of the whistleblower tips received by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in fiscal year 2023 related to fraud and misappropriation of crypto/digital assets.

Whistle

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SEC crackdown on whistleblower violations a warning on employment contracts

2023-10-31T12:55:00+00:00By

Recent enforcement cases brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding apparent violations of its whistleblower protection rule are proof the agency is taking compliance with the rule “very seriously,” said Enforcement Director Gurbir Grewal.

CWE 2023 Wirecard

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Wirecard what happens when ‘those that are meant to check compliance don’t’

2023-10-26T13:09:00+01:00By

The Wirecard fraud highlights the result of regulators and auditors failing to act properly and underlines the importance of encouraging and protecting whistleblowers, said the reporter who exposed the firm in speaking at Compliance Week’s Europe conference in London.

Brazil

News Brief

OECD group questions Brazil’s momentum on anti-bribery

2023-10-23T17:48:00+01:00By

Brazil has made strides in its anti-bribery enforcement efforts, but a working group at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is concerned the country doesn’t have the controls in place to sustain its progress.

Darren Bradshaw, Chief Audit and Compliance Officer, Stellantis

Podcast

Digital Transformation of Compliance podcast: Stellantis CCO Darren Bradshaw

2023-10-17T16:00:00+01:00By

In this episode of the Digital Transformation of Compliance podcast series, Darren Bradshaw, chief audit and compliance officer at Stellantis, shares how the automaker has digitized and automated parts of its compliance function.

DOJ

News Brief

Cardiac Imaging, CEO to pay $85M in DOJ false claims case

2023-10-11T19:34:00+01:00By

Cardiac Imaging and its chief executive agreed to pay a total of more than $85 million to settle charges levied by the Department of Justice addressing alleged violations of the False Claims Act regarding unlawful kickbacks.

Treasury Department

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FinCEN crafting rule proposal for AML and sanctions whistleblower program

2023-10-04T16:30:00+01:00By

Andrea Gacki, the new director at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, said the agency is working to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding the establishment of an anti-money laundering and sanctions whistleblower program.

Cigna

News Brief

DOJ orders Cigna to pay $172M over false claims to Medicare

2023-10-02T17:20:00+01:00By

Multinational health insurance company Cigna agreed to pay more than $172 million as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice addressing allegations it submitted and failed to withdraw false claims to Medicare.

Whistle

News Brief

D. E. Shaw fined $10M for impeding potential whistleblowers

2023-09-29T18:30:00+01:00By

New York-based investment adviser D. E. Shaw & Co. will pay a $10 million penalty to settle charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission that the company raised impediments to whistleblowing by employees.

Boeing

News Brief

Boeing to pay $8.1M over Navy contract false claims

2023-09-29T14:41:00+01:00By

Aerospace giant Boeing agreed to pay $8.1 million as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice addressing allegations it submitted false claims regarding military aircraft contracts it had with the Navy.

whistleblower_woman_web

News Brief

Lawsuit: Ex-Payqwick CCO fired, retaliated against for raising alarm

2023-09-26T20:29:00+01:00By

The ex-chief compliance officer at Payqwick, a California-based money transmitter that serviced the cannabis industry, is suing her former employer alleging wrongful termination and whistleblower retaliation over lax disclosures related to an acquisition.

CBRE_Web

News Brief

CBRE unit fined $375K over violating whistleblower protections

2023-09-19T16:35:00+01:00By

Commercial real estate services and investment firm CBRE agreed to pay $375,000 to settle allegations by the Securities and Exchange Commission that its separation agreements violated whistleblower protections.

Whistle - dark

News Brief

SEC fines Monolith $225K over violating whistleblower protections

2023-09-08T20:14:00+01:00By

Monolith Resources, a privately held energy and tech company, agreed to pay $225,000 to settle charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission it used employee separation agreements that violated whistleblower protection rules.

linde_Web

News Brief

Lincare to pay $29M over false claims for improperly billing Medicare

2023-08-29T18:41:00+01:00By

Lincare Holdings, a provider of oxygen equipment and subsidiary of Linde, agreed to pay $29 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act by fraudulently overbilling Medicare.

Pfizer

News Brief

Lawsuit: Pfizer fired, retaliated against whistleblower who raised FCPA concerns

2023-08-25T12:53:00+01:00By

An ex-Pfizer compliance officer is suing his former employer claiming wrongful termination and whistleblower retaliation after discovering the company allegedly paid $168 million to potentially influential government officials in China.

columnist dale

Opinion

Whistleblower goes above, beyond in Construction Specialties OFAC case

2023-08-22T16:23:00+01:00By

The impact of “see something, say something” was on display as part of Construction Specialties’ settlement with the Office of Foreign Assets Control for apparent Iran sanctions violations.

iran_sanctions_web

News Brief

Construction Specialties to pay $660K in Iran sanctions case

2023-08-17T20:11:00+01:00By

Construction Specialties agreed to pay more than $660,000 in a settlement with the Office of Foreign Assets Control regarding three apparent sanctions violations in Iran carried out by “rogue employees” of its Middle Eastern affiliate.

Brasseur_opinion

Opinion

​SEC’s latest whistleblower award worth note beyond $104M payout

2023-08-08T17:41:00+01:00By

The SEC announced a $104 million award split among seven whistleblowers, but the fact nearly a dozen claimants contacted the agency seeking to provide information related to one action should be notable to companies regarding the stakes of the current whistleblower landscape.

Whistleblower

News Brief

SEC awards $104M between seven whistleblowers in one action

2023-08-04T18:14:00+01:00By

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced awards totaling more than $104 million to seven whistleblowers whose information and assistance led to a successful enforcement action.

DOJ building

News Brief

Martin’s Point Health Care to pay $22.5M to settle false claims case

2023-07-31T18:55:00+01:00By

Martin’s Point Health Care will pay nearly $22.5 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting inaccurate diagnosis codes for Medicare enrollees to increase reimbursements.

DOJ wall

News Brief

Booz Allen to pay $377.5M in improper billing case

2023-07-24T18:51:00+01:00By

Booz Allen Hamilton agreed to pay approximately $377.5 million as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice regarding alleged False Claims Act violations stemming from improper billing of commercial and international costs in government contracts.

CFTC building

News Brief

CFTC whistleblower director steps down

2023-07-16T23:31:00+01:00By

Christopher Ehrman, the head of the whistleblower program at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, departed the agency.

Whistleblower

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Supreme Court to consider case that could affect corporate whistleblowing

2023-07-11T19:05:00+01:00By

The Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in a case, Murray v. UBS Securities, that has focused attention on the burden of proof whistleblowers reporting misconduct internally must meet to establish retaliation by their public company employer.

FTX_web

News Brief

Lawsuit: Ex-FTX CCO bribed whistleblowers into silence

2023-06-29T18:40:00+01:00By

The former chief compliance officer at cryptocurrency exchange FTX paid off whistleblowers and their lawyers trying to expose the company’s fraud, according to a lawsuit filed in bankruptcy court by FTX and its debtors.

Whistle

News Brief

CFTC wants whistleblowers to help thwart carbon markets fraud

2023-06-21T16:08:00+01:00By

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued an alert regarding the identification and reporting of potential fraud or manipulation in carbon markets.

DOJ wall

News Brief

S.C.-based St. Francis to pay $36.5M in false claims settlement

2023-06-16T16:17:00+01:00By

South Carolina-based healthcare system St. Francis agreed to pay $36.5 million as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice addressing alleged violations of the False Claims Act, Stark Law, and Anti-Kickback Statute.

SEC office

News Brief

Gaia fined $2M for subscriber overstatement, whistleblower retaliation

2023-05-24T18:17:00+01:00By

Digital video subscription service Gaia will pay a $2 million fine to the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly overstating its paid subscribers and retaliating against an internal whistleblower.