D. E. Shaw fined $10M for impeding potential whistleblowers
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 to pay $8.1M over Navy contract false claims
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.
Lawsuit: Ex-Payqwick CCO fired, retaliated against for raising alarm
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 unit fined $375K over violating whistleblower protections
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.
SEC fines Monolith $225K over violating whistleblower protections
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.
Lincare to pay $29M over false claims for improperly billing Medicare
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.
Lawsuit: Pfizer fired, retaliated against whistleblower who raised FCPA concerns
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.
Whistleblower goes above, beyond in Construction Specialties OFAC case
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.
Construction Specialties to pay $660K in Iran sanctions case
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.
SEC’s latest whistleblower award worth note beyond $104M payout
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.
SEC awards $104M between seven whistleblowers in one action
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.
Martin’s Point Health Care to pay $22.5M to settle false claims case
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.
Booz Allen to pay $377.5M in improper billing case
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 whistleblower director steps down
Christopher Ehrman, the head of the whistleblower program at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, departed the agency.
Supreme Court to consider case that could affect corporate whistleblowing
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.
Lawsuit: Ex-FTX CCO bribed whistleblowers into silence
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.
CFTC wants whistleblowers to help thwart carbon markets fraud
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued an alert regarding the identification and reporting of potential fraud or manipulation in carbon markets.
S.C.-based St. Francis to pay $36.5M in false claims settlement
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.
Gaia fined $2M for subscriber overstatement, whistleblower retaliation
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.
Whistleblower attorney: Companies that don’t welcome complaints may pay price
Businesses found ignoring tips from employees about possible internal wrongdoing could face stiffer penalties, warned Mary Inman, partner at law firm Constantine Cannon, at Compliance Week’s 2023 National Conference.
Highlights from Compliance Week 2023
Significant changes in policy and technology, in addition to fresh perspectives on tried-and-true compliance topics, highlighted the discussion at Compliance Week’s 2023 National Conference.
JPMorgan whistleblower candidly shares experiences at CW2023
If compliance officers are good at their jobs, they can expect to eventually catch their employers breaking the law, whistleblower Edward Siedle told attendees during a fireside chat at Compliance Week’s 2023 National Conference.
Precision Lens, owner ordered to pay $487M in false claims judgment
A judge affirmed more than $487 million in penalties and damages against Precision Lens and its owner after a jury found they filed tens of thousands of false claims to Medicare and violated the Anti-Kickback Statute.
GCI to pay $40.2M to settle False Claims Act case
Alaska-based telecommunications provider GCI Communications Corp. agreed to pay more than $40.2 million as part of a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice for alleged violations of the False Claims Act.
SEC shatters whistleblower award records with $279M bounty
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced its largest-ever whistleblower award at nearly $279 million—more than double the agency’s previous record bounty.
Adobe to pay $3M over government kickback allegations
Adobe agreed to pay $3 million to settle allegations it paid kickbacks in an attempt to win more software purchase orders from the federal government.
Genotox Laboratories to pay $5.9M in DOJ kickback settlement
Genotox Laboratories agreed to pay at least $5.9 million to settle charges it violated the False Claims Act by paying volume-based commissions to third-party marketers and submitting claims to federal healthcare programs for unnecessary drug tests.
DOJ: Covenant Healthcare paid $69M in 2021 false claims settlement
Michigan-based Covenant Healthcare System paid $69 million to settle whistleblower allegations it engaged in illegal referral and kickback schemes.
NAVEX: Record whistleblower report totals suggest ‘more cautious workforce’
More whistleblowers than ever before filed reports with their employers in 2022, with more than half doing so anonymously, according to the latest hotline benchmark report from NAVEX.
Labcorp to pay $2.1M in third party overbilling case
Laboratory Corporation of America agreed to pay $2.1 million to settle Department of Justice allegations the company overbilled the Department of Defense for genetic tests performed by a third party.
Bipartisan bill strengthening SEC whistleblower program reintroduced
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) revived a whistleblower protection bill aimed at shielding whistleblowers from retaliation and cutting down on the time it takes to receive an award from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
DOJ intervenes in suit alleging Rite Aid helped fuel opioid crisis
The Department of Justice announced its intervention in a lawsuit alleging retail pharmacy chain Rite Aid filled hundreds of thousands of prescriptions for medically unnecessary oxycodone and other opioids in violation of multiple federal laws.
Ten things I’m excited for at CW National 2023
Ten weeks before Compliance Week National 2023 kicks off May 15 at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C, CW Editor in Chief Kyle Brasseur shares what he’s looking forward to most at the annual event.
Corporate conformity and ‘blame culture’
Conformity can be a powerful force for good, but the same urge to conform can also lead to a toxic culture with an unhealthy atmosphere for employees and customers alike.
Cornerstone Healthcare Group to pay $21.6M over false claims
Cornerstone Healthcare Group will pay more than $21.6 million to settle allegations it filed false claims to Medicare by inflating the cost of services, billing for unauthorized services, and other violations initially brought forward by a whistleblower.
False Claims Act settlements net lower return in FY2022
Penalties assessed for violations of the False Claims Act topped $2.2 billion during fiscal year 2022, less than half the mark the Department of Justice reached the previous year.
Activision Blizzard fined $35M by SEC over workplace harassment disclosures
Activision Blizzard will pay $35 million to resolve Securities and Exchange Commission charges it violated federal securities laws by failing to adequately disclose how its ineffective response to workplace complaints was harming its ability to hire and retain skilled employees.
JBS accused of greenwashing in SEC whistleblower complaint
Brazilian meat processing company JBS faces accusations of issuing $3.2 billion worth of “misleading and fraudulent” sustainability bonds in a whistleblower complaint filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
J&J unit to pay $9.75M to settle kickback suit
A Johnson & Johnson medical device subsidiary admitted to providing thousands of dollars in equipment as kickbacks to an orthopedic surgeon as part of a $9.75 million settlement reached with the Department of Justice.
BioTelemetry to pay $44.8M over India testing false claims
BioTelemetry and CardioNet agreed to pay more than $44.8 million to settle allegations they violated U.S. federal health laws by improperly billing Medicare and other federal programs for heart monitoring and cardiac test analyses performed by a company in India.
Avaya discloses ICFR weaknesses linked to whistleblower logs
Avaya Holdings disclosed its assessment of internal control over financial reporting in its fiscal year 2021 annual report can’t be relied upon, along with acknowledging weaknesses in its ethics and compliance program.
SEC adds whistleblower retaliation charges against ex-NS8 CEO
Adam Rogas, the former CEO of cyber-fraud prevention company NS8 who was sentenced to five years in prison for fraud, now faces charges of impeding and retaliating against a whistleblower following an amended complaint from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
DOJ seeking Rennova Health return pandemic relief funds
The Department of Justice requested Rennova Health repay Covid-19 relief funds it received in 2020 as part of a whistleblower lawsuit against the healthcare services provider alleging ineligible use of the money.
Ex-BP trader’s failed whistleblower claim to raise U.K. reporting bar?
A U.K. employment tribunal’s ruling that a former BP employee was not entitled to whistleblower protection has shone a spotlight on the legal issues workers must consider ahead of speaking up.
Big penalties, admissions fuel record SEC enforcement year
The Securities and Exchange Commission collected more than $6.4 billion in enforcement penalties, fees, and interest in fiscal year 2022—the largest amount in the agency’s history and a massive increase over a transition year in 2021.
1MDB whistleblower talks of ‘paying the price’ for doing the right thing
The experience of Xavier Andre Justo—the former Swiss banker turned whistleblower in the 1MDB scandal—shows those who speak up about bribery and corruption are often the only victims of the supposed “victimless crimes” they report.
ModMed settles FCA, kickback allegations with DOJ for $45M
Modernizing Medicine paid $45 million to settle false claims allegations levied by the Department of Justice it received kickbacks and made improper payments to providers to increase its business.
Former JPMorgan compliance exec settles with bank over SOX whistleblower suit
Shaquala Williams, a compliance executive who sued JPMorgan Chase after she said she was fired for blowing the whistle on deficiencies in the bank’s anti-money laundering compliance program, agreed to settle her case.
Pharma, whistleblower lessons learned from $900M Biogen settlement
Experts discuss the ramifications of Biogen’s $900 million settlement for False Claims Act violations, including the $266.4 million whistleblower bounty in the case believed to be the largest single award under any government program.
ExxonMobil to pay reinstated employees $800K in OSHA whistleblower ruling
Oil and gas giant ExxonMobil must reinstate two previously fired employees and pay them more than $800,000 in back wages, interest, and compensatory damages after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined the terminations to be illegal.