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Whistleblowers and Outcomes of Financial Misrepresentation Enforcement Actions

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  • ANDREW C. CALL
  • GERALD S. MARTIN
  • NATHAN Y. SHARP
  • JARON H. WILDE

Abstract

Whistleblowers are ostensibly a valuable resource to regulators investigating securities violations, but whether there is a link between whistleblower involvement and the outcomes of enforcement actions is unclear. Using a data set of employee whistleblowing allegations obtained from the U.S. government and the universe of enforcement actions for financial misrepresentation, we find that whistleblower involvement is associated with higher monetary penalties for targeted firms and employees and with longer prison sentences for culpable executives. We also find that regulators more quickly begin enforcement proceedings when whistleblowers are involved. Our findings suggest that whistleblowers are a valuable source of information for regulators who investigate and prosecute financial misrepresentation.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew C. Call & Gerald S. Martin & Nathan Y. Sharp & Jaron H. Wilde, 2018. "Whistleblowers and Outcomes of Financial Misrepresentation Enforcement Actions," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 123-171, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:56:y:2018:i:1:p:123-171
    DOI: 10.1111/1475-679X.12177
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    Cited by:

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    2. Dasgupta, Sudipto & Banerjee, Shantanu & SHI, RUI & Yan, Jiali, 2021. "Information Complementarities and the Dynamics of Transparency Shock Spillovers," CEPR Discussion Papers 15658, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Nerissa C. Brown & Richard M. Crowley & W. Brooke Elliott, 2020. "What Are You Saying? Using topic to Detect Financial Misreporting," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 237-291, March.
    4. Heese, Jonas & Krishnan, Ranjani & Ramasubramanian, Hari, 2021. "The Department of Justice as a gatekeeper in whistleblower-initiated corporate fraud enforcement: Drivers and consequences," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1).
    5. Santhosh Ramalingegowda & Steven Utke & Yong Yu, 2021. "Common Institutional Ownership and Earnings Management," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(1), pages 208-241, March.
    6. Yu Flora Kuang & Gladys Lee & Bo Qin, 2021. "Whistleblowing Allegations, Audit Fees, and Internal Control Deficiencies," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(1), pages 32-62, March.
    7. Zhou, Fuzhao, 2023. "Auditors’ responses and whistleblowing allegations," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PB).
    8. Michael S. Drake & James R. Moon & Brady J. Twedt & James D. Warren, 2023. "Social media analysts and sell-side analyst research," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 385-420, June.
    9. Aiyesha Dey & Jonas Heese & Gerardo Pérez‐Cavazos, 2021. "Cash‐for‐Information Whistleblower Programs: Effects on Whistleblowing and Consequences for Whistleblowers," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(5), pages 1689-1740, December.
    10. De Simone, Lisa & Klassen, Kenneth J. & Seidman, Jeri K., 2022. "The effect of income-shifting aggressiveness on corporate investment," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(1).
    11. Martin Kapons & Peter Kelly & Robert Stoumbos & Rafael Zambrana, 2023. "Dividends, trust, and firm value," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 1354-1387, September.
    12. Godsell, David & Huang, Kelly & Lao, Brent, 2023. "Managers’ rank & file employee coordination costs and real activities manipulation," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    13. Yi Si & Chongwu Xia, 2023. "The Effect of Human Capital on Stock Price Crash Risk," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(3), pages 589-609, October.
    14. Stephen R. Stubben & Kyle T. Welch, 2020. "Evidence on the Use and Efficacy of Internal Whistleblowing Systems," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(2), pages 473-518, May.
    15. Sebastian Oelrich, 2019. "Making regulation fit by taking irrationality into account: the case of the whistleblower," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 12(1), pages 175-207, April.
    16. Langenbucher, Katja & Leuz, Christian & Krahnen, Jan Pieter & Pelizzon, Loriana, 2020. "What are the wider supervisory implications of the Wirecard case?," SAFE White Paper Series 74, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    17. J. M. C. Santos Silva & Silvana Tenreyro, 2022. "The Log of Gravity at 15," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 21(3), pages 423-437, September.
    18. Mehta, Mihir N. & Zhao, Wanli, 2020. "Politician Careers and SEC enforcement against financial misconduct," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2).
    19. Du, Qingjie & Heo, Yuna, 2022. "Political corruption, Dodd–Frank whistleblowing, and corporate investment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    20. Emre Kuvvet, 2019. "Are a Few Huge Outcomes Distorting Financial Misconduct Research?," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 16(1), pages 1-1–34, March.
    21. Heese, Jonas & Pérez-Cavazos, Gerardo, 2021. "The effect of retaliation costs on employee whistleblowing," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2).
    22. Li, Keming, 2024. "Informed trading prior to financial misconduct: Evidence from option markets," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    23. Dennis W. Campbell & Ruidi Shang, 2022. "Tone at the Bottom: Measuring Corporate Misconduct Risk from the Text of Employee Reviews," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(9), pages 7034-7053, September.

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