CFTC awards $10 million to whistleblower

Securities CFTC Enforcement Commodity Exchange Act Whistleblower

On March 18, the CFTC announced an approximately $10 million award to a whistleblower whose information led the agency to a successful Commodity Exchange Act enforcement action. According to the CFTC, the claimant voluntarily provided original, “useful information at the earliest stages of the investigation and later provided supplemental information.” The associated order also noted that because of the claimant’s allegations, CFTC staff were able to draft the earliest round of subpoenas.

The CFTC has awarded approximately $330 million to whistleblowers since the enactment of its Whistleblower Program under Dodd-Frank, with whistleblower information helping the CFTC prosecute enforcement actions leading to more than $3 billion in monetary sanctions.