The Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday announced the award of more than $10 million to a whistleblower whose information formed the basis of a successful enforcement action.
The tipster voluntarily gave the agency information, according to the SEC, and “provided Enforcement staff with extensive and ongoing assistance during the course of the investigation, including identifying witnesses and helping staff understand complex fact patterns and issues related to the matters under investigation.” The SEC also noted the whistleblower endured hardships amid the process.
“This award recognizes the persistent efforts of the whistleblower to expose serious financial misconduct,” said Jane Norberg, chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower, in a press release.
The payout is the fourth this year to surpass $10 million. In June, the SEC announced a record individual award of nearly $50 million.
The SEC has awarded approximately $520 million to 94 individuals since issuing its first award in 2012, according to the agency. More than 25 of those awards have come this fiscal year, totaling approximately $123 million. Awards can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected when the penalties exceed $1 million; all award payments are made through an investor protection fund established by Congress and financed by monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by securities law violators.
The SEC neither identifies whistleblowers, nor discloses information that could reveal a whistleblower’s identity.
No comments yet