Can I Be a Whistleblower?
The False Claims Act allows a person or people to act as whistleblowers and sue the wrongdoer on behalf of the U.S. government. This is referred to as a “qui tam” claim. In “qui tam” cases, the whistleblower is named the “relator.”
If a claim originated by a whistleblower, with no prior government knowledge is successful, the Whistleblower is entitled to a percentage recovery ranging from 15 to 30 percent of the total amount of monies the government recoups.
Any person or entity that has evidence of a fraud occurring against the government may act as a whistleblower under the False Claims Act.
Our Experience in Obtaining Recoveries for Whistleblowers
We have represented whistleblowers and businesses victimized by fraud made public by whistle blowers in a wide range of federal False Claims Act and other non traditional whistleblower cases. We have the resources, experience, and skill to appropriately investigate even the largest and most complex matters and take them it all the way through trial. Our cases remain under investigation by governmental authorities and we cannot list our current Qui Tam cases.
Whistleblower compensation can be denied if authorities already know the basis of the claims. If you are a potential whistle blower, consider contacting this office first and before informing the press or the authorities.
The False Claims Act prohibits people and companies from defrauding the federal government by knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false claim for payment or approval. The act is designed and intended to prevent the federal government from incurring economic loss from fraudulent schemes. Violations of the False Claims Act can result in judgment in an amount equal to three times the amount of losses the U.S. Treasury sustained, plus civil fines.
Almost any type of fraud in which the government has paid money, or has been billed for money, based on fraudulent claims likely falls under the False Claims Act. While Medicare and military contract fraud account for many successful whistle blower claims, other successful cases have focused on education, farm, environmental, and energy federal funding. We even advanced a whistle blower case related to a large trucking company fraudulently logging drivers hours and making unscrupulous payroll and drivers log book adjustments.
Other Whistleblower Laws
Most states have Qui Tam -like statutes. Claims involving fraud committed upon state governments are most likely actionable.
The IRS has a whistleblower provision for tax fraud.
Under the financial reform legislation enacted in 2010 whistleblowers who provide the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission with information about a violation of federal securities laws may be entitled to a reward if the government acts on that information. The recovery in this Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act type whistleblower cause offers a whistleblower a payment ranging from ten (10) to thirty (30) percent of the amount the government recoups.
