InfoBytes Blog
SEC awards $4.5 million in first-ever internal reporting whistleblower action
On May 24, the SEC announced a $4.5 million award to a whistleblower who reported concerns internally to his or her company and also to the SEC within 120 days of reporting to the company. This marked the first time the SEC issued an award to a claimant under the provision of the whistleblower rules that were “designed to incentivize internal reporting by whistleblowers who also report to the SEC within 120 days.” The company reported the allegations, and later the findings of the internal investigation it launched as a result of the claimant’s tip, to the SEC and another federal agency. The SEC initiated its own investigation after the company self-reported, which resulted in a successful enforcement action and the $4.5 million award to the whistleblower that originated the allegations. The order does not provide any additional details regarding the whistleblower or the company involved in the enforcement actions. Since the program’s inception in 2012, the SEC has awarded approximately $381 million to 62 whistleblowers.