Sanctions enforcement is usually discussed in the language of tankers, banks, and cross‑border payments. But a recent enforcement action by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the top sanctions regulator in the U.S., reads more like an admissions file. Earlier this month, IMG Academy, an elite youth sports academy where tuition runs nearly $100,000 […]
Earlier this month, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) submitted its Fiscal Year 2025 Whistleblower & Customer Education Report to Congress, a statutorily mandated account of the agency’s whistleblower program. The report provides useful data on tips received and awards granted, but it also highlights a troubling trend: the CFTC’s whistleblower award cadence and award […]
Proposed legislation in California to allow whistleblowers to report state tax law violations advanced through the state senate on Tuesday, as supporters refuted claims from business groups that it would lead to abusive lawsuits and that tax fraud should be exempt from scrutiny. The bill passed the California Senate Judiciary Committee by a 10-2 vote, […]
In January 2025, Hino Motors Ltd., a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, agreed to a comprehensive settlement exceeding $1.6 billion with U.S. authorities to resolve allegations of emissions fraud. This resolution addresses both criminal charges and civil claims related to the company's misconduct in falsifying engine emission and fuel consumption data. Of interest to whistleblowers […]
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the nation’s auto-safety regulator, finalized a new rule for its whistleblower program, which pays monetary awards to auto-industry insiders for providing information about critical safety defects. At long last, auto-safety whistleblowers can know the rules of the road for blowing the whistle. NHTSA’s New Whistleblower Program Rule In […]
Audit firms are unique entities—they balance the pursuit of profit like any other business while bearing the immense responsibility of safeguarding the integrity of our capital markets. In a lengthy statement published on May 15, Paul Munter, the Chief Accountant of the SEC, emphasized the critical role that audit firm leaders play in maintaining this […]
Whistleblower Partners’ attorneys Poppy Alexander, Chris McLamb, and Ari Yampolsky were featured in two recent articles about the growing significance of whistleblowers in corporate enforcement efforts. The articles, published in the Wall Street Journal and Law360, both highlight the increasing recognition that whistleblowers play an invaluable role in uncovering corporate misconduct. Government enforcers in the […]
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on May 3, 2024, imposed a massive penalty on the public accounting firm BF Borgers CPA PC and its owner, Benjamin Borgers, for alleged misconduct in auditing the financial statements of hundreds of clients, which included Trump Media. The firm agreed to pay a $12 million civil penalty, […]
A recent risk alert from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) highlights a central compliance issue facing many registered investment advisers: misrepresentations and omissions in marketing materials. The alert is a reminder to investment advisers of the importance of maintaining transparency and accuracy in all communications with clients and investors. It’s also a cue to […]
