On June 4, 2020 the SEC announced a nearly $50 million whistleblower award to an individual who alerted the agency of firsthand observations of misconduct by a company that resulted in a successful enforcement action that returned a significant amount of money to harmed investors. This is the largest amount ever awarded to one individual under the SEC’s whistleblower program.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has awarded more than $500 million to whistleblowers since the inception of the agency’s whistleblower program in 2011. This award is the largest individual whistleblower award since the inauguration of the program. The whistleblower program was established by Congress to incentivize whistleblowers with specific, timely and credible information about federal securities laws violations to report to the SEC. The Commission emphasizes, that no money has been taken or withheld from harmed investors to pay whistleblower awards. The informant’s award is based on a percentage of the money collected in fees and sanctions paid by the violators they uncovered, and if they provided the SEC with original, timely, and credible information that leads to a successful enforcement action. Whistleblower awards can range from 10% to 30% of the money collected when the monetary sanctions exceed $1 million.
As set forth in the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC protects the confidentiality of whistleblowers and does not discloses information that could reveal a whistleblower’s identity. Whistleblowers have proven to be a critical tool in the enforcement arsenal to combat fraud and protect investors. If you believe you have information of a material nature that would be helpful to the SEC’s mission, David A. Weintraub, P.A. may be able to represent you in connection with your whistleblower claim.