Qui Tam Blog
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 »
SEC Issues First Whistleblower Award of $2.2 Million Under Safe Harbor Rule
The Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, announced in April that it issued an award of $2.2 million to a whistleblower for the first time under what’s known as the ‘safe harbor’ rule. The whistleblower’s tip to one federal agency resulted in an SEC enforcement action. The whistleblower reported information to a federal agency… Read More »
Common Types of Whistleblower Fraud
Whistleblower cases, known as Qui Tam cases, are ones that are brought against companies who are committing fraud against the United States government for financial gain. These types of cases can come from many sources, but some of the most common whistleblower cases are: Health Care Fraud It probably comes as no surprise that… Read More »
New IRS Task Force — Could This Mean More Whistleblower Awards?
The Wall Street Journal shared news that the IRS is forming a new task force within its criminal investigations unit. The team of 10 agents will be solely focused on international tax enforcement. They are assembling experts who will follow the funds of financial criminals and tax cheats, no matter where they are in… Read More »
