SEC Charges Cardinal Health With FCPA Violations

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Ohio-based pharmaceutical company Cardinal Health, Inc. has agreed to pay more than $8 million to resolve charges that it violated the books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). According to the SEC's order, Cardinal's internal accounting controls were not sufficient to detect improper payments made by employees of its former Chinese subsidiary. The order finds that, between 2010 and 2016, Cardinal China retained thousands of employees and managed two large marketing accounts for the benefit of a European dermocosmetic company whose products Cardinal China distributed. The dermocosmetic company directed the day-to-day activities of the Cardinal China employees, who used the marketing account funds to promote the dermocosmetic company's products.