SEC penalizes Rimar CEO, holding company board member $524K total for ‘AI washing’
The Securities and Exchange Commission ordered the owner of Rimar Capital and a board member of its holding company to pay nearly $524,000 in penalties for defrauding investors with false and misleading statements about its use of artificial intelligence.
Banks avoid penalties in OCC deals, agree to shore up AML/BSA, board oversight
Among the enforcement actions issued by the Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in August, two banks were separately penalized for deficiencies in anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act compliance and board oversight.
Women in Compliance highlights: Mentorship driving DEI; fostering board buy-in
Keeping track of regulations and understanding how they affect your business can be a hot mess without proper organization and collaboration, experts said at Compliance Week’s Women in Compliance Summit, held June 3-4, in Atlanta.
Debate: Experts discuss pros, cons of whistleblower process
Compliance Week Advisory Board members Eric Young and Ellen Hunt participate in a debate-style discussion regarding whistleblower-related topics including culture of compliance, monetary incentives, retaliation, and more.
FAT Brands on defense over DOJ, SEC accounting misconduct allegations
Restaurant operator FAT Brands said it would contest charges announced by the Department of Justice regarding violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act related to personal loans made to executive officers.
Effective risk culture starts at the top. Everyone is required to make it successful
There is no magic wand compliance professionals can wave to promote a strong risk culture within their organizations, experts discussed at Compliance Week’s 2024 National Conference.
Experts: ESG gone mainstream, but new regs still create headaches
Environmental, social, and governance goals have gained acceptance from senior leadership because of upward pressure from employees, investors, and customers, according to compliance leaders speaking at Compliance Week’s 2024 National Conference.
Data, consumer support key to conveying value of compliance
Presenting data to the board and providing examples of positive consumer response to ethical decision-making help compliance departments demonstrate value beyond keeping an organization in line with rules and regulations, experts discussed at Compliance Week’s 2024 National Conference.
CW2024 women’s brunch panel: Five steps from compliance to the board
So, you think it might be fun to sit on a board someday. Panelists shared misconceptions to unlearn, factors to consider, and preparatory steps to take before rehearsing one’s board pitch during the women’s brunch held at Compliance Week’s 2024 National Conference.
DOJ antitrust scrutiny pushes out 2 WBD board directors
Two directors on the board at media giant Warner Bros. Discovery resigned after the Department of Justice raised antitrust concerns regarding their similar positions on the board of Charter Communications.
Chemours: 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.
Equinix probing short seller accusations amid DOJ scrutiny
Data center owner Equinix disclosed it launched an independent investigation to review matters referenced in a recent short seller report that also caught the attention of the Department of Justice.
Experts: Legal noise around SEC climate disclosure rule no excuse for standing still
Legal experts are advising their public company clients to move forward with plans to comply with the SEC’s climate-related disclosure rule, despite lawsuits and other challenges being brought against the controversial policy in the aftermath of its approval.
Chapter 3: Egregious failures: Customer due diligence and transaction monitoring
Why did JPMorgan Chase retain Jeffrey Epstein for more than a dozen years? How did the relationship persist despite glaring red flags? The “why” is straightforward; the “how” is more complicated.
Chapter 1: Compliance v. complicity: The ‘underbelly’ of bank culture
Why were decisions made the way they were at the banks that serviced Jeffrey Epstein? Evidence points to a cultural tension: a tug-of-war between the allure of profit and the drag of compliance, with the former having all the pulling power.
Chemours says probe found accounting misconduct by execs
Chemours said an internal review into the actions of senior managers alleged to have engaged in accounting misconduct uncovered violations of the chemicals company’s code of ethics regarding the promotion of full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure.
HG Vora fined $950K for beneficial ownership disclosure failures
New York-based investment adviser HG Vora Capital Management agreed to pay $950,000 to settle charges levied by the Securities and Exchange Commission alleging failure to report beneficial ownership regarding its stake at trucking transport company Ryder System.
Best practices for determining need for a human rights policy
Does your business need a human rights policy? An increasing number of organizations believe they do, according to research firm Gartner.
Grewal: Investors care about ESG claims—so do SEC enforcers
Environmental, social, and governance issues are increasingly material to investors, and the Securities and Exchange Commission is checking to ensure businesses’ ESG statements are above board, according to the agency’s enforcement director.
Ten things I’m excited for at CW National 2024
A new month and a new venue but a lot of the same you love about Compliance Week’s National Conference. CW Editor in Chief Kyle Brasseur shares what he’s looking forward to most at the 2024 edition of the annual event.
VanEck fined $1.8M over influencer promo nondisclosure
Van Eck Associates agreed to pay $1.75 million as part of a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding its alleged failure to properly disclose the planned involvement of a social media influencer in the launch of an exchange-traded fund.
LRN survey: Compliance programs shifting focus from bribery, corruption
Many ethics and compliance programs have refocused their efforts away from bribery and corruption and onto data security and privacy, complex government regulations, artificial intelligence security, and other contemporary challenges, a survey from LRN found.
Verifiable data key as companies begin TNFD-aligned disclosures
More than 320 organizations worldwide committed to disclosing their impact on nature following the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures.
U.K. governance code revisions: Boards lead on culture, audit supports
Corporate culture, internal controls, and assurance moved up the boardroom agenda with the publication of the U.K.’s revised corporate governance code and its supporting guidance.
Alphabet to pay shareholders $350M over Google+ privacy lapses
Alphabet, the parent company of technology giant Google, agreed to pay $350 million in a preliminary settlement with shareholders over alleged data privacy violations and materially false and misleading statements linked to now-defunct social media site Google+.
Experts: Good data breach response grounded in preparation
Two chief compliance officers and an attorney discussed preparation for the “when, not if” threat of a data breach during a panel at CW’s Cyber Risk & Data Privacy Summit.
Consultation opens debate on proposed U.K. cyber governance code
Cybercrime is regularly cited as a leading concern for executives, yet board oversight of cyber risks is often inadequate and governance poorly understood, according to the authors of a proposed U.K. code of practice on cybersecurity governance.
FRC ups board responsibilities in corporate governance code revisions
The Financial Reporting Council held back on the latest round of updates to the U.K.’s corporate governance code, as the country remains wary of pushing away businesses and investors.
NYDFS: Banks must vet execs, including CCOs, ‘not just upon hiring’
The New York State Department of Financial Services released final guidance on how banks and non-depository financial institutions should vet executives, including chief compliance officers, before and during their employment.
U.K. push for more listings to lower bar on governance?
Moves by the U.K.’s financial regulatory body to encourage companies to list in London might fail to deliver or send mixed messages about the value placed on corporate governance, according to experts.
Silver Lake Hospital to pay $19M over Medicare false claims
New Jersey-based Silver Lake Hospital agreed to pay more than $18.6 million as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice addressing allegations of false claims submitted to Medicare for inpatient cost outlier payments.
Disclosure rules not enough to curb U.K. salary gaps
The issue of “fat cat” pay awards was reignited in the United Kingdom after a think tank found a typical FTSE 100 CEO earned the average annual salary for a full-time worker after just four days into the new year.
Money, size, industry: Multiple factors at play in setting compliance reporting lines
Compliance teams most often report to their firm’s legal department, our “Inside the Mind of the CCO” survey found. However, heavily regulated companies and those with fewer employees saw different trends emerge.
Ex-BP CEO facing up to $41M in losses over colleague relationship dishonesty
The board of British oil and gas giant BP announced its remuneration determinations after finding former CEO Bernard Looney committed “serious misconduct” in his disclosure of personal relationships with company colleagues.
The road from CCO to board: What compliance professionals need to know
Chief compliance officers and chief ethics and compliance officers desire progressing to the board more than any other role change, our “Inside the Mind of the CCO” survey found. So, what does it take for compliance to get on a corporate board?
More companies enter ‘discovery phase’ of ESG reporting in 2023
Climate-related disclosure efforts are amplifying year over year, despite persistent and persnickety pain points, as more organizations widen the scope of their ESG journeys, our “Inside the Mind of the CCO” survey found.