Whistleblower News From The Inside -- March 24, 2017
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
Today is International Whistleblower Day — The Southeast Europe Coalition on Whistleblower Protection has deemed today, March 24, 2017, as International Whistleblower Day. The group aims to celebrate whistleblowers for their roles in saving countless lives and billions of dollars worldwide. The group says, “Whistleblowers are the true guardians of truth and justice in our society, our communities and our workplaces. They are regular citizens, regular workers, regular people who take matters into their own hands to expose secretive acts of crime and corruption.” The Southeast Europe Coalition on Whistleblower Protection
N.J. lawmakers vote to block secret million-dollar settlements — New Jersey lawmakers on Thursday advanced legislation that would prevent state government from keeping whistleblower lawsuit payouts shrouded in secrecy. The state Assembly, in a 73-0 vote, passed a bill (A-4242) meant to block public entities from including confidentiality clauses, which often operate as gag orders, when settling whistleblower lawsuits. NJ.com
Trump defends several unsubstantiated claims in interview — President Trump appeared to double down on several claims he has made since running for office during an interview with Time magazine. He defended previous claims he had made about the father of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Muslims in New Jersey celebrating 9/11 and widespread voter fraud. He defended his credibility over these unsubstantiated claims by saying, “I can’t be doing so badly, because I’m president and you’re not.” The Hill
Miami-Based physician charged for role in pain pill and Medicare fraud scheme — A physician licensed in Puerto Rico, who was practicing medicine in Miami at Latin Foundation for Health Inc., was charged in a 16-count indictment for his alleged participation in a multi-faceted $20 million health care fraud scheme involving the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid and the illegal distribution of oxycodone and other controlled substances. DOJ