Whistleblower News From The Inside -- June 19, 2017

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

Genesis Healthcare Inc. Agrees to Pay Federal Government $53.6 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to the Provision of Medically Unnecessary Rehabilitation Therapy and Hospice Services — The Justice Department announced today that Genesis Healthcare Inc. (Genesis) will pay the federal government $53,639,288.04, including interest, to settle six federal lawsuits and investigations alleging that companies and facilities acquired by Genesis violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false claims to government health care programs for medically unnecessary therapy and hospice services, and grossly substandard nursing care. Genesis, headquartered in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, owns and operates through its subsidiaries skilled nursing facilities, assisted/senior living facilities, and a rehabilitation therapy business. DOJ

Whistleblower Lawsuit Filed Against Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant Group — A former employee of Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises — owner of M Burger, Wow Bao and dozens of other eateries — is accusing the restaurant group of harassing and ultimately firing her for refusing to participate in activities she believed were illegal and for reporting them to her supervisors, according to a lawsuit filed under the state’s Whistleblower Act. Cristina Griffith, who was an office manager at one of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants from January 2014 until Oct. 11, 2016, alleges in a lawsuit filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court that the harassment began in April 2016. Chicago Tribune

Sepp Blatter After the Fall: ‘Why the Hell Should I Bear All the Blame?’ — In any account of the extraordinary rise and fall into corruption of football’s world governing body, Fifa, since the landmark 1974 election of the Brazilian president João Havelange, Sepp Blatter has to be a central figure. His expulsion at the age of 79 by Fifa’s ethics committee, terminating his fifth stint as president, was as precipitous as a fall can be: from being courted by prime ministers and presidents, to a ban from any activities relating to football. He is not impressed with whistleblowers in general, even criticising Yuliya Stepanova, who had recently exposed the Russian state doping of athletes, the great scandal breaking over athletics. “She wants to go to the Olympics, and now everybody says it is a shame she can’t go because she is a whistleblower. Before long whistleblowers will be allowed to go to everything,” he sneered. “Because if you are a whistleblower, it’s not correct as well.” Startled by that statement, I asked him to clarify; was he saying whistleblowers are not correct? “No,” he confirmed. “At school, if you had somebody who was a whistleblower towards the tutor, then …” and he trailed off, as if it was obvious. “Do you still think that?” I asked. “Yes.” “That they are like a snitch in school?” “Yes, yes,” he said. The Guardian