The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday named Sean McKessy as the new head of its Whistleblower Office, which is housed within the agency's Division of Enforcement.
Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC is required to pay rewards to individuals who voluntarily provide the Commission with original information that leads to successful SEC enforcement actions and certain related actions. The SEC says that it’s in the process of developing rules that will guide the whistleblower program.
Harry Markopolos, the securities professional turned full-time fraud investigator who repeatedly warned the SEC that Bernie Madoff was a fraud, is reportedly helping the agency develop its Whistleblower program.