We present evidence on the relationship between firms that have engaged in fraudulent financial reporting and accounting conservatism. We empirically investigate the extent to which U.S. firms identified by the SEC in their Enforcement Releases demonstrate higher levels of conditional...

Donald T. Nicolaisen (1944-2019) was an internationalist, a progressive thinker, and a leader of the U.S. accounting profession. This memorial article traces Nicolaisen's early education and career in the Milwaukee office of Price Waterhouse & Co. in the 1960s, his rise to partner and eventual...

As part of the goal of enhancing the quality of information available to investors, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reviews filings to identify disclosures or accounting applications that may be materially deficient or require additional clarification. Because of an increasing...

In this study, I examine whether firms and executives with long-term political connections through contributions and lobbying incur lower costs from the enforcement actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). I find that politically connected firms on average are less likely to be...

The stated goal of the 2011 SEC Whistleblower (WB) Program introduced as part of the Dodd-Frank Act was to strengthen investor protection through greater deterrence of securities law violations and more effective regulatory enforcement. While the SEC has articulated the success of the program...