Whistleblower News From The Inside – April 8, 2015

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

Study warns of diet supplement dangers kept quiet by FDA — Public health experts contend the FDA “is not effectively policing the $33 billion-a-year supplements industry in part because top agency regulators themselves come from the industry and have conflicts of interest.”  NYT

SEC charges former Giant Will Allen with Ponzi fraud — The government accuses the former NFL cornerback with reaping more than $31 million in a Ponzi scheme that promised high returns to investors from funding loans to cash-strapped pro athletes.  NBC

Former AIDS Healthcare Foundation managers file whistleblower action alleging kickbacks — According to the complaint, AHF “boosted funding from federal healthcare programs by generating HIV/AIDS referrals…by unlawfully paying referral incentives to employees and patients in violation of the anti-kickback statute.”  GlobeNewswire

Madoff says fraud wasn’t so bad — Bernie Madoff is now insisting the extent of his crimes is not nearly as bad as the media and court-appointed trustee are making it out to be.  CNBC

Proposed amendment may weaken India’s Whistleblower Protection Act — By incorporating provisions to “strengthen safeguards against disclosures which may affect sovereignty and integrity of the country,” many fear the proposed amendment “will weaken the battle against graft in sensitive sectors like defense and various key ministries.”  Daily Mail

Corporations cannot muzzle whistleblowers with secrecy agreements any longer — Opinion piece on the fallout from the SEC’s recent enforcement action against defense contractor KBR, Inc. for requiring employees to sign restrictive non-disclosure agreements.  Guardian