Reporting Guidelines for Whistleblowers
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act does not protect whistleblowers who report violations to the media, according to a federal appeals court. In the case, two financial auditors told a newspaper reporter about auditing practices that they believed violated the law, and they provided the reporter with internal company documents. The court found that such violations may only be reported to federal authorities, members of Congress, or the company’s own officials.
