On January 23, 2020, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a notice of charges against five former senior executives of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and announced settlements with the bank’s former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and other members of the bank’s operating committee - including the former chief auditor, a former risk officer, former general counsel, and a former executive audit director.

This notice of charges is of particular interest to compliance and audit professionals as risk managers, auditors, and general counsel don’t typically appear in these types of charges.

The notice of charges alleges these executives failed to adequately perform their duties and responsibilities, which contributed to the bank’s systemic problems with sales practices misconduct from 2002 until October 2016. The misconduct of these individuals allowed the practices to continue for years, affecting millions of bank customers and thousands of lower level bank employees. Additionally, the notice states that Ms. Russ Anderson also made false and misleading statements to the OCC and actively obstructed the OCC’s examinations of the bank’s sales practices.

Based on the facts and circumstances of each individual’s actions, the relief sought may include a lifetime prohibition from participating in the banking industry, a personal cease and desist order, and/or CMP. A personal cease and desist order would require the individual to take certain affirmative actions or refrain from certain conduct in any future involvement in the banking industry. Pursuant to federal law, the respondents may request a hearing challenging the allegations and relief sought by the OCC.

The OCC also announced today the issuance by consent of a prohibition order and a $17,500,000 CMP against former bank Chairman and CEO John Stumpf; a personal cease and desist order and a $2,250,000 CMP against the bank’s former Chief Administrative Officer and Director of Corporate Human Resources Hope Hardison; and a personal cease and desist order and assessment of a $1,250,000 CMP against its former Chief Risk Officer Michael Loughlin for their roles in the bank’s sales practices misconduct.

The OCC’s notice of charges can be found here.

Adam Witmer

Adam Witmer is a speaker, author, and founder of the Compliance Cohort. Adam has taught hundreds of seminars and training sessions to thousands of bankers throughout the United States and teaches on all areas of regulatory compliance. Adam has written five e-books that he never published, hit a grizzly bear while driving in a National Park, and is an award winning photographer and musician (though he no longer takes photos nor plays any instruments). In his spare time, Adam can be found kayaking on the lake, doing taekwondo with his kids, working on his (project) house, or spending time with his family.

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