What is the SEC Office of the Whistleblower?

The SEC Office of the Whistleblower is a department of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) created to administer the SEC’s whistleblower program, which was created under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Updated

May 14, 2025

What is the SEC Office of the Whistleblower
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The SEC Office of the Whistleblower is a department of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) created to administer the SEC’s whistleblower program. This program, created under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and signed into law in 2010, encourages individuals to report violations of federal securities laws.

The Office of the Whistleblower provides financial awards to whistleblowers who voluntarily provide original information that leads to successful enforcement actions resulting in monetary sanctions of over $1 million. Whistleblowers may be eligible to receive between 10% and 30% of the total sanctions collected, which depends on the quality of information provided.

In addition to awards, the office provides protection against retaliation for individuals who report securities law violations. They also process whistleblower tips and complaints, track ongoing investigations and enforcement actions, and communicate directly with whistleblowers or their lawyers throughout the entire whistleblowing process.

The main goal of the office is to detect, deter, and prosecute securities law violations, protect investors, and promote market integrity. By incentivizing individuals to report misconduct, the office aims to uncover and address securities law violations that might otherwise go undetected, ultimately safeguarding the financial markets, investors, and other participants.

Allison Lee - Of Counsel - Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto LLP

Contact Allison Lee

We are delighted to welcome the former acting chair and commissioner of the SEC, Allison Herren Lee, to our firm.

Now Of Counsel at Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, Allison Herren Lee is ready to serve and protect whistleblowers, and help them seek rewards under the Dodd-Frank Act and SEC Whistleblower Program. If you’re an SEC whistleblower seeking to report a concern, contact our law firm today to speak confidentially with Allison Lee.

Our Firm’s Cases

  • Andrés Olarte Peña

    Environment & Human Rights Violations Exposed

    Andrés Olarte Peña

    Oil industry’s environmental crimes and cover-up in Colombia have been exposed. Whistleblower Andrés Olarte Peña, with the support of his attorneys Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto and the damning evidence compiled in the Iguana Papers, is calling for an investigation into Ecopetrol and its executives by the Colombian government and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

  • SEC Whistleblower

    $30 Million Award

    SEC Confidential Whistleblower (2020)

    Protecting the confidentiality of Wall Street whistleblowers is among the most important breakthroughs in federal whistleblower law. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, whistleblowers can file anonymous cases, and everything about their case, including who they sued, remains secret.

  • SEC Confidential Whistleblower

    $13.5 Million Award

    SEC Confidential Whistleblower (2021)

    Our firm represented an anonymous whistleblower, who on May 17, 2021, received a whistleblower award of almost $13.5 million. The SEC has issued more than $31 million in whistleblower awards related to this case.

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Our Firm’s New SEC & CFTC Whistleblower Group.

Former SEC officials lead the firm’s new group, representing whistleblowers who report financial fraud and legal violations to the SEC, CFTC, DOJ, FinCEN, and the IRS.