‘Sham audit mill’: SEC fines, permanently suspends BF Borgers
By 
Kyle Brasseur2024-05-03T14:27:00
BF Borgers was all but shuttered by the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday after the agency accused the firm of massive fraud impacting more than 1,500 SEC filings audited over a 2 1/2-year span.
BF Borgers and its owner, Benjamin Borgers, agreed to be permanently suspended from appearing and practicing before the commission as accountants, effective immediately, as part of a settlement, the SEC announced in a press release. The firm was fined $12 million, while Borgers agreed to pay a $2 million penalty.
“Ben Borgers and his audit firm, BF Borgers, were responsible for one of the largest wholesale failures by gatekeepers in our financial markets,” said Gurbir Grewal, director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, in the release.
THIS IS MEMBERS-ONLY CONTENT
You are not logged in and do not have access to members-only content.
If you are already a registered user or a member, SIGN IN now.
Related articles
-
News BriefFive firms fined by PCAOB for alleged communications, reporting failures
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board fined five consultancies, including Ernst & Young, as the agency continues its crackdown on firms violating audit committee communications rules and reporting requirements.
-
PremiumSEC chief accountant calls out audit leadership culture
Staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission have observed instances of audit firms setting poor examples for junior-level employees by failing to properly discipline senior leaders found to have breached ethical standards, according to Chief Accountant Paul Munter.
-
News BriefChemours: DOJ, SEC probing exec accounting misconduct
Chemours disclosed it received requests for information from the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission regarding findings from an internal review into alleged accounting misconduct by several of its top executives.
More from Regulatory Enforcement
-
ArticleFrench investigators target anticompetitive practices in largest accounting firms
Major accountancy firms in France are under investigation for anti-competitive practices. The French competition watchdog embarked on a series of “unannounced inspections” and removed documents relating to audit and reporting on Jan. 13.
-
ArticleEU investigation into Grok may expose problems with DSA rather than compliance failings
The European Commission has launched a formal investigation against Elon Musk’s X under the Digital Services Act over fears that its AI tool Grok may be producing and disseminating illegal material.
-
ArticleFormer ADM execs inflated operating profits, SEC alleges
Three former executives at Archer-Daniels-Midland intentionally misled investors by inflating the performance of the company’s Nutrition unit, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has alleged.