Auto-safety regulators finally take steps to stand up nation’s only safety-focused whistleblower program, but challenges lie ahead
Posted 06/16/21
Back in 2015, the public seethed over the auto industry’s historic failures. Takata’s air-bag scandal, Toyota’s unintended-acceleration deceptions, and General Motors’s deadly ignition-switch cover-up were in the headlines. Hundreds died and millions were exposed to grave dangers because of the industry’s propensity to bury known safety defects.
In 2015, Congress tried to turn the tide, passing the
Whistleblowers Without Borders: International Whistleblowers are Increasingly Important Contributors of Tips to the SEC Whistleblower Reward Program
Posted 06/11/21
On March 4, 2021, the SEC announced an award of over $5 million to joint foreign whistleblowers whose tip, providing significant information about misconduct abroad, caused the opening of an investigation that resulted in a successful SEC enforcement action.
According to Jane Norberg, former Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower, “The whistleblowers’ information alerted the staff to misconduct...
Whistleblowing is crossing paths with antitrust enforcement. Expect the trend to accelerate.
In the past few years, whistleblowers have become increasingly instrumental in detecting and addressing corporate wrongdoing. Increased protections and financial incentives have encouraged whistleblowers to expose corruption and other wrongdoing, much of which would otherwise often go unnoticed.This phenomenon is also...
When it comes to their respective whistleblower programs, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) does not get the same respect or attention the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does. That is largely because the SEC Whistleblower Program has been an unparalleled success, with whistleblower awards being made (and highly promoted) virtually every week or two. Last year was a record-breaking year for...
A Better Approach for Encouraging Would-Be Whistleblowers to Stand Up and Be Heard
Posted 02/17/21
There is a clear recognition these days that whistleblowers play a critical role in rooting out fraud and misconduct. That is why Congress has passed an ever-increasing array of legislation aimed at protecting and rewarding whistleblowers.
There is the False Claims Act, which rewards and protects whistleblowers who report fraud against the federal government. A majority of states have passed analogous state...
Published in San Francisco Chronicle
Most are applauding Xavier Becerra as President-elect Joe Biden’s choice to run the U.S. Health and Human Services. This is the agency -- with nearly $1.3 trillion at its disposal -- that oversees the safety of our drugs (through FDA), deals with outbreaks and pandemics (through CDC), and administers Medicare and Medicaid. It is at the epicenter of ensuring our ultimate...
Vote Here Now for the 2020 Whistleblower of the Year
Posted 01/8/21
Thank you for voting for the 2020 Whistleblower of the Year. Polls are now closed and we are pleased to announce that Rebekah Jones is our 2020 winner!
Whistleblower Insider wants to hear from you on who should be honored as our 2020 Whistleblower of the Year. As in past years, we are especially interested in those individuals who best encapsulate the qualities of the typical whistleblower — courage, strength,...
Whistleblower Insider wants to hear from you on who should be honored as our 2020 Whistleblower of the Year. As in previous years, we are especially interested in those individuals who best encapsulate the qualities of the typical whistleblower — courage, strength, integrity, selflessness and a deep concern for public health and safety. And please add in the comments section why your candidate is deserving of...
An unidentified SEC whistleblower with audit responsibilities will receive an award of $300,000 based on a finding that the individual reasonably believed that the entity would engage in conduct which would impede an SEC investigation. The award recognizes that the individual provided high-quality information and continuing assistance during the SEC investigation. SEC