Last month, after an individual filed 196 award applications, the SEC Office of the Whistleblower (OWB) issued a detailed Final Order deeming him/her ineligible for an award in any of his/her pending applications and prohibiting him/her from filing any future submissions with the SEC. The OWB explained that this person “has knowingly and willingly made false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements to the Commission over a course of years and continues to do so,” and that “all but one” of his/her 196 applications “lack even a superficial factual nexus to the covered actions for which [s/he] is seeking an award.” It further noted that the investigations of this person’s applications had consumed significant resources and delayed its ability to finalize awards to claimants who filed meritorious applications... Continue Reading