SEC Whistleblower Program: Can I submit a tip to the SEC if I was involved in the fraud or misconduct?

Yes, so long as you are not criminally charged. Indeed, the SEC has issued a few awards to whistleblowers that bore some degree of culpability for the violation giving rise to an SEC enforcement action.

If you had any involvement in the wrongdoing, you should consult with an experienced SEC whistleblower attorney before contacting the SEC to determine your potential liability. Once you submit a tip, the SEC can forward the information to other agencies, including the Department of Justice, for potential criminal investigations.  Depending upon the circumstances, there can be an advantage to reporting a violation before the SEC discovers the violation.

Importantly, even though the SEC Whistleblower Program allows anonymous submissions through attorneys, the agency will issue an award only after it determines that the whistleblower is eligible for the award. The SEC may reduce the amount of an award if the whistleblower participated in, or was culpable for, the violation.

For more information about whistleblower rewards and bounties, contact the SEC whistleblower lawyers at Zuckerman Law at 202-262-8959. Click below to hear SEC whistleblower lawyer Matt Stock’s tips for SEC whistleblowers:

To learn more about the SEC Whistleblower Program, download Zuckerman Law’s eBook: SEC Whistleblower Program: Tips from SEC Whistleblower Attorneys to Maximize an SEC Whistleblower Award:

SEC Whistleblower Attorneys

How to Get an SEC Whistleblower Award

SEC Whistleblower Bounties

Yes, you can still submit a claim if you had involvement in the fraud or misconduct. As a practical matter these individuals tend to have some of the best details that they can say about the specific violation or perhaps can offer some evidence that other whistleblowers may not have access to.

However with that said these individuals should know that once they submit information to the SEC, the SEC can give it to other agencies such as the Department of Justice for criminal investigation. As such these individuals should consult with an experienced SEC whistleblower attorney prior to submitting any information to the SEC.