The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) is a nonprofit corporation established by Congress to oversee the audits of public companies in order to protect investors and the public interest by promoting informative, accurate, and independent audit reports. The PCAOB also oversees the audits of broker-dealers, including compliance reports filed pursuant to federal securities laws, to promote investor protection. The PCAOB is governed by a five-member Board, which is appointed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The PCAOB has a staff of approximately 800 employees and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.