SEC issues $7 million whistleblower award

Securities SEC Whistleblower Enforcement Investigations

On February 28, the SEC announced an award of over $7 million to a whistleblower in an enforcement action. According to the SEC’s press release, the whistleblower “provided extensive and sustained assistance, such as identifying witnesses,” which was “critically important to the success of [the] enforcement action.” The formal order also states that the whistleblower helped the SEC “understand complex fact patterns” and that “[t]he whistleblower’s information and assistance helped the SEC staff devise an investigative plan, craft document requests, and ultimately bring an important enforcement action focusing on serious financial abuses.”

The SEC’s press release states that it has awarded 73 individuals a total of approximately $394 million in whistleblower awards since 2012.