European Views | Accountancy giants KPMG are set to pay €44 million in fines to settle allegations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that the audit firm, one of the so-called Big Four, inappropriately altered already-complete audits. KPMG is accused of illegally obtaining information that several of their clients were in line for investigation by an American non-profit in charge of overseeing the audits of public companies—and then subsequently doctoring records to conceal transgressions.