Whistleblower News From The Inside — October 7, 2015
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
Fifth Third to pay $85M to settle whistleblower charges of mortgage fraud — According to US Attorney Preet Bharara, the bank admitted failing to report to HUD roughly 1,400 defective mortgage loans it originated from 2003 through 2013. DOJ
PharMerica to pay $9.25M to settle whistleblower charges of illegal kickbacks — According to the whistleblowers and government, the nation’s second-largest nursing home pharmacy solicited and received kickbacks from Abbott Laboratories in exchange for promoting the prescription drug Depakote for nursing home patients. DOJ
Government watchdog finds OSHA whistleblower program in need of serious repair — A review by the inspector general of the US Labor Department found that the federal officials responsible for protecting whistleblowers and examining their claims of retaliation are mishandling nearly one in five of their investigations. FairWarning
Former UN leader charged in alleged bribery scheme — John Ashe, the former UN ambassador for Antigua and Barbuda and General Assembly president from September 2013 to September 2014, “sold himself and the global institution he led” by allegedly pocketing more than $1 million in bribes to finance a luxury spending spree, according to the government. CNN
New Wall Street whistleblower campaign announced — “On the heels of the seventh anniversary of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), Wall Street’s bailout for the 2008 financial crisis, a new campaign called Whistleblower Wall Street is encouraging bank employees to take action against illegal financial activity.” Fox
Whistleblower sues Honolulu rail construction company — John McCaughey, who quit as the head of Ansaldo Honolulu’s construction safety program in July because he thought the company was jeopardizing workers’ safety, says the company — which is being paid $1.4 billion to build the trains and operate them — cut corners by not hiring the required safety experts. Hawaii News