Press Release
October 31, 2016
On Tuesday November 1, 2016, The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument in State Farm Fire and Casualty Company v. U.S. ex rel. Rigsby. Having suffered a 758-thousand-dollar jury verdict for defrauding the Government following Hurricane Katrina, State Farm is now attempting judicial gymnastics to avoid paying the judgment.Continue Reading U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Oral Argument in State Farm Ex Rel. Rigsby
Supreme Court Unanimously Supports Whistleblower under False Claims Act
Washington, D.C. June 16, 2016. In a unanimous ruling issued today, the United States Supreme Court upheld a whistleblower’s claim in Universal Health Services v. U.S. ex rel. Escobar. The Court, in an opinion by Justice Thomas, affirmed the “implied certification theory” of liability under the False Claims Act (FCA). This theory permits contractors to be liable for fraud when they fail to disclose material non-compliance with regulatory requirements.
Continue Reading Big Win for Whistleblowers at Supreme Court
Yesterday, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice held a hearing entitled “Oversight of the False Claims Act,” in which corporate lobbyists organized by the Chamber of Commerce worked to advance their agenda to cripple the False Claims Act.
Continue Reading False Claims Act Hearing a Success
In a statement before the House Judiciary Committee, Senator Charles Grassley strongly opposed efforts by high-powered corporate lobbyists to undermine the False Claims Act. This Act has proven to be the most effective whistleblower law in the United States, providing protection and compensation to more whistleblowers then any other law, and triggering civil and criminal investigations. These investigations have recovered over $30 billion from the most corrupt government contractors, who try to use their influence to illegally profit from lucrative government contracts.
Continue Reading Senator Grassley Blasts Efforts to Undermine the False Claims Act
Today, the National Whistleblower Center rallied support from its network of supporters across the country to defend the False Claims Act from proposals made before the House Judiciary Committee to cripple the law’s protections for whistleblowers. The False Claims Act is considered the most effective tool to prevent fraud on government contractors and protect taxpayer dollars. Over 42 billion dollars has been recovered from government contract fraud through False Claims Act whistleblower cases since 1986.
Continue Reading The National Whistleblower Center Draws on Grassroots Support to Defend the False Claims Act
The hospital that was sued in this case actually asked the Justices to believe that: (1) it is not fraud for a hospital to bill Medicaid or other government insurance programs for a doctor’s services when it knows that a doctor did not perform any services; and (2) that companies and hospitals that are government contractors should be permitted “to pick and choose which regulations they comply with.”
Continue Reading Government Contractors Ask Supreme Court for False Claims Act Loophole So They Can “Pick and Choose” What Regulations to Follow
The National Whistleblower Center recently filed an Amicus (friend of the court) brief in the case Universal Health Services v. U.S. ex rel. Escobar. The legal issue behind the case concerns the False Claims Act, America’s premier whistleblower law and its best defense against government contracting fraud. The question at hand asks whether a contractor can only be held liable for defrauding the government and the taxpayers if they violate the express terms of their contract, or if reasonable interpretations of the requirements can serve as the basis for enforcing against fraud as well.
Continue Reading National Whistleblower Center presents original documents showing the intent of the False Claims Act
Washington, D.C. September 8, 2015. In a precedent setting decision, Savage v. Department of the Army, 2015 M.S.B.P. 51 (Sept. 3, 2015), the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) ruled that the creation of a hostile work environment standing alone violates the Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA). The WPA provides protection to federal workers who blow the whistle on fraud within the federal government.
Continue Reading MSPB Rules Creation of Hostile Work Environment Violates WPA