In 2021, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Whistleblower Program received widespread attention for issuing a record-setting $200 million whistleblower award. That record award was not the only whistleblower award issued by the CFTC in 2021, however. Over the course of the year, the CFTC issued a number of awards, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to rewarding whistleblowers who provide high-quality original information.
Through the CFTC Whistleblower Program, qualified whistleblowers, individuals who voluntarily provide original information which leads to a successful enforcement action, are entitled to a monetary award of 10-30% of funds recovered by the government.
The record $200 million award was issued on October 21, 2021. According to the CFTC, the awarded whistleblower offered “specific, credible, and timely original information” that “significantly contributed to an already open investigation and led to a successful enforcement action.” The whistleblower’s contributions also led to the “success of two related actions, by a U.S. federal regulator and a foreign regulator.”
On April 23, 2021, the CFTC issued a $3 million whistleblower award to an individual who, according to the CFTC, provided a “specific, credible, and timely tip” which “led the CFTC to open an investigation and ultimately bring a successful enforcement action.” This award was notable because with the award, the CFTC had recovered over $1 billion in cases for which they issued a...
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