Qui Tam Blog
The Importance of Whistleblowers to Help Detect Crime and Fraud
Whistleblowers are people who expose activities or information that are considered unethical or illegal. Some government programs, such as Medicare, rely heavily on whistleblowers to report criminal activity. In a recent interview, former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said more than 10 percent of Medicare’s budget is lost to waste and fraud. He stated… Read More »
What is the Florida False Claims Act?
A number of states have enacted their own false claims acts that address state fraud. In Florida, there is the Florida False Claims Act, which was modeled after the federal version and offers some of the same protections to the local state government. False claims include actions such as healthcare fraud and procurement fraud…. Read More »
Potentially Fraudulent Activity Tied to Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)
Earlier this year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged two individuals who profited from the illegal stock sales of a business that claimed to have a related blockchain business. Blockchain business investments and initial coin offerings can be risky, so much so that the SEC has issued multiple investor bulletins in the past… Read More »
What are Protected Disclosures in the Whistleblower Protection Act?
Whistleblower laws are designed to protect employees from employer retaliation in the event they voluntarily disclose information about illegal or dishonest activities taking place against a government organization. The Whistleblower Act (WPA) was enacted in 1989 and covers a number of disclosures. Proving Whistleblower Retaliation In order to prove retaliation, a whistleblower is required… Read More »
What is the Whistleblower Protection Act?
The Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA) was enacted to protect federal employees and applicants who legally disclose information they reasonably believe shows evidence of one of the following: Violations of laws, rules, or regulations, Gross waste of funds, Gross mismanagement, An abuse of authority, Reasonable and specific danger to public safety or health. The WPA… Read More »
Frequently Asked Questions about Whistleblower Claims
The federal government, along with some states, have enacted important tools that help expose corruption and fraud related to contracted services or product purchases by governmental agencies. The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes liability on companies and individuals who defraud the government. It also allows someone with the knowledge of… Read More »
Firm Settles $1.5 Million Qui Tam Case
McCabe Rabin, P.A. announces the settlement of the qui tam whistleblower case, United States ex rel. Relator v. Healthquest, Inc. et al., No. 16-81147-Civ-Rosenberg, filed in the Southern District of Florida. Our firm filed the case in 2016 on behalf of a whistleblower who worked for a home health agency or HHA. HHA’s provide… Read More »
Whistleblowers Win Battle with IRS and Open Door for Future Cases
Two whistleblowers went up against the IRS recently for what felt was their share of an award for the information they provided that led to a massive $54.131 million judgment against a major Swiss bank. The argument from the IRS and the Department of Justice was that whistleblower laws don’t apply to criminal tax… Read More »
Qui Tam Defective Bulletproof Vests Case Settles for $66 Million
A settlement was recently announced in a long-running qui tam case brought by whistleblower Aaron Westrick, Ph.D., who alleged Toyobo Co. Ltd. of Japan and its American subsidiary, Toyobo USA Inc., (collectively, Toyobo), sold Zylon fiber that was defective. This fiber was used for bulletproof vests purchased by the United States government for federal,… Read More »
Frequently Asked Questions about SEC Whistleblower Actions
If you have information that you think may be of interest to the SEC, it’s important to understand the basics surrounding the whistleblower program, what the eligibility requirements are, and what potential limitations are in place. Whistleblower actions with the SEC are covered under Section 922 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer… Read More »
