SEC Enforcement Actions Brought in Record $6.4 Billion in 2022

News November 15, 2022 at 03:20 PM
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The Securities and Exchange Commission announced Tuesday that it filed 760 enforcement actions in fiscal year 2022, a 9% increase over the prior year.

These included 462 new, or "stand alone," enforcement actions, a 6.5% increase over fiscal year 2021.

Of the actions, 129 were against issuers who were allegedly delinquent in making required filings with the SEC; and 169 "follow-on" administrative proceedings seeking to bar or suspend individuals from certain functions in the securities markets based on criminal convictions, civil injunctions, or other orders, the agency reported.

The SEC's stand-alone enforcement actions in fiscal year 2022 ran the gamut of conduct, from "first-of-their-kind" actions to cases charging traditional securities law violations.

Money ordered in SEC actions, comprising civil penalties, disgorgement, and prejudgment interest, totaled $6.439 billion, "the most on record in SEC history and up from $3.852 billion in fiscal year 2021," the SEC said.

"Of the total money ordered, civil penalties, at $4.194 billion, were also the highest on record," the agency said.

Disgorgement, at $2.245 billion, decreased by 6% from fiscal year 2021.

"Fiscal year 2022 was the SEC's second highest year ever in whistleblower awards, in terms of both the number of individuals awarded and the total dollar amounts awarded," the agency reported.

In fiscal year 2022, the SEC issued approximately $229 million in 103 awards, making it the SEC's second-highest year in terms of dollar amounts and number of awards.

"The Whistleblower Program also received a record high number of whistleblower tips alleging wrongdoing — more than 12,300 whistleblower tips — in fiscal year 2022," the agency said.

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