August 24, 2024

A new federal whistleblower pilot program in California encourages individuals to disclose criminal conduct in order to avoid prosecution, according to an announcement by U. S. Attorney Martin Estrada.

The program is designed to prompt individuals to come forward about previously unknown fraud, bribery, and other misconduct. It does so by setting forth conditions under which the voluntary self-disclosure of misconduct to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, coupled with the agreement to fully cooperate in the investigation of others involved, individual may avoid prosecution.

The program applies to circumstances where an individual voluntarily discloses information regarding criminal conduct undertaken by or through public or private companies, exchanges, financial institutions, investment advisers, or investment funds involving fraud or corporate control failures or affecting market integrity, or criminal conduct involving state or local bribery or fraud relating to federal, state, or local funds.

It is designed to facilitate the investigation of misconduct that is not already known to prosecutors and target those equally or more culpable in the misconduct, and only offers benefits to those who did not play a leading role in the misconduct, and who are not corporate CEOs or those in similar positions of control or federal, state, or local officials.

This pilot program provides transparency regarding deferred or...

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