That's not true. They come off the pinks as soon as they get back in compliance. The SEC is well aware that everything is late because of their request, they are not going to punish the company for that.
"Sort of" is such a harmless thing to say. "Sort of". It's just a filler. "Sort of" - It doesn't really mean anything. But after certain things, "sort of" means everything. Like after "I love you" or "You're going to live" or "It's a boy".