The Securities and Exchange Commission announced on September 29th that International Game Technology (IGT) has agreed to pay a $500,000 penalty for firing an exemplary employee for reporting issues with the company’s financial statements.
Continue Reading SEC Fines Casino Gaming Company $500K for Whistleblower Retaliation

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that Jane Norberg will now head its whistleblower office.  The SEC Office of the Whistleblower reviews whistleblower tips, evaluates whistleblower award claims, and makes recommendations on whether claimants should receive an award for their information. Ms. Norberg has served as acting chief since the departure of Sean McKessy in July.
Continue Reading New Chief of SEC Whistleblower Office Named

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced August 30, 2016, that it has awarded over $100 million to whistleblowers since its inception in 2011.  The SEC’s whistleblower program was established by Congress to incentivize whistleblowers with specific, timely and credible information about federal securities law violations to report to the SEC.
Continue Reading SEC Whistleblower Awards Top $100 Million

There are more effective ways to protest lax enforcement of financial fraud

Last week, it was widely reported that Eric Ben-Artzi, a Deutsche Bank whistleblower stated he will refuse a portion of his whistleblower award from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s whistleblower program.   Mr. Ben-Artzi had worked at the bank as a vice president and he tells an all too-familiar story of a loyal corporate insider reporting serious fraud internally only to be betrayed by corporate compliance officials and then getting fired by management.

Mr. Ben-Artzi next reported the wrongdoing to the SEC and later formally asked the SEC in 2015 to grant him a monetary award for helping the SEC to fine Deutsche Bank. After being awarded more than $8 million he says he will refuse to accept a portion of that whistleblower award (but allow his ex-wife and attorney to collect a portion of his share) as a form of protest to the SEC’s collusion with Wall Street.

However, refusing the award makes little sense, because there are more effective ways the whistleblower can protest lax enforcement and corporate fraud.
Continue Reading Deutsche Bank Whistleblower Should Accept SEC Whistleblower Award

Washington, D.C., July 8, 2016. Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that the Chief of the Office of the Whistleblower, Sean McKessy, would leave the agency in July. Mr. McKessy was the first head of the SEC’s whistleblower program and helped to establish the important and effective whistleblower office.
Continue Reading Sean McKessy, Chief of SEC’s Whistleblower Office, Leaving Agency Later This Month

The SEC Office of the Whistleblower posts Notices of Covered Action where a final judgment or order, by itself or together with other prior judgments or orders in the same action issued after July 21, 2010, results in monetary sanctions exceeding $1 million. Subject to the Final Rules, individuals who voluntarily provided the Commission with original information after July 21, 2010 that led to the successful enforcement of a covered action listed below are eligible to apply for a whistleblower award. Once a Notice of Covered Action is posted by the SEC, individuals have 90 calendar days to apply for an award.

View the updated list below:  
Continue Reading March-May 2016 SEC Whistleblower Awards List

The head of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower, Sean McKessy, reported on Friday that the increased number of rewards paid out to whistleblowers “reflects the high-quality nature of the tips the SEC is receiving as public awareness of the whistleblower program grows.”  To date, the SEC has awarded 31 separate awards totaling $68 million to whistleblowers.

Continue Reading The Securities and Exchange Commission Confirms Critical Role Whistleblowers Play in Holding Fraudsters Accountable

Washington, D.C. January 15, 2016. The Securities and Exchange Commission issued a landmark award to an industry expert who provided it with “high-quality analysis” in an enforcement action.  The whistleblower award of more than $700,000 marks the first time the SEC has issued an award to someone outside a company since the whistleblower office opened in 2011.
Continue Reading SEC Awards Company Outsider $700,000

The Whistleblower Protection Blog’s most popular posts during the past year covered a wide range of whistleblower topics including court victories improving whistleblower rights, the introduction of new whistleblower legislation,  and the Congressional celebration honoring whistleblowers.

We really appreciate the support from our loyal readers. You have given us another successful year. If you’d like