Whistleblower Group
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March 18, 2016
Illinois announced that a former Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) caseworker was arraigned on charges of theft, aggravated ID theft and official misconduct for allegedly stealing a reissued LINK card from a DHS client. Gwendolyn Ross, 63, of Rockford, surrendered herself to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office on March 11. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan alleged that Ross, a former IDHS caseworker at the Winnebago County Family Community Resource Centre (FCRC), stole a reissued LINK card from a DHS client while it was being processed by the Rockford DHS office. Within hours of obtaining the card, she was observed on store security footage using the card to make purchases. ILDOJ Catch of the Week -- Hayner Hoyt
Posted 03/18/16
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
This week's Department of Justice "Catch of the Week" goes to Hayner Hoyt Corporation. On Monday, the Syracuse-based government contractor agreed to pay $5 million to settle charges that its chairman and chief executive officer Gary Thurston, its president Jeremy Thurston, and its affiliate companies LeMoyne Interiors and Doyner Inc., violated the False Claims Act by...
In Their Own Words — Wyden
Posted 03/18/16
-- “One of the pillars of our system of government is the rule of law; a principle that applies no less to our military and to the vital principle of civilian control over the military. It is illegal to retaliate against whistleblowers, whether civilian or military.”
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) commenting on denial of promotion of Navy admiral for retaliating against whistleblowers. Click here for more.Whistleblower News From The Inside — March 18, 2016
Posted 03/18/16
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
Promotion denied for Navy admiral accused of punishing whistleblowers -- The Navy has denied promotion to the admiral in charge of its elite SEAL teams, effectively ending his military career, after multiple investigations found that he had retaliated against whistleblowers. Washington Post
GAP and partners shine light on Senate FBI whistleblower bill -- GAP and a broad...
March 17, 2016
Constantine Cannon whistleblower partner Gordon Schnell named to the International Who's Who of Competition Lawyers listing and specifically recognized as "'always effective and never less than impressive'" in his appearances before federal and state enforcement agencies including the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission." Click here to read the announcement.March 18, 2016
The FTC is mailing 2,172 partial refund checks totaling nearly $210,000 to consumers who bought Nano-UV “disinfectant” devices from a company called Zadro Health Solutions, Inc. The refunds stem from an FTC settlement with over allegations that Zardo’s ads falsely claimed that their devices “safely kill 99.99% of targeted bacteria – E. Coli, Salmonella and the H1N1 (swine flu) virus in 10 seconds.” FTCIn Their Own Words — Guarda
Posted 03/17/16
-- “The people who are running and working in these programs believe they’re doing the right thing, but it’s a slippery slope….Money can cloud your view.”
Dr. Angela Guarda, the director of the eating disorders program at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, commenting on the proliferation of lux private eating disorder clinics. Click here for more.Whistleblower News From The Inside — March 17, 2016
Posted 03/17/16
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
Alaska Senate passes Medicaid False Claims Act – The bill would punish fraudsters with treble damages, attorney’s fees, and penalties of between $5,500 and $11,000 per count; it is now up for vote in the Alaska House after unanimous consensus in the Senate. Alaska Journal
New regs Thursday: securities, whistleblowers, efficiency – The Labor Department’s Occupational...
Despite A Recent Ninth Circuit Decision, The Law Still Applies To Government-Sponsored Entity Cases
Posted 03/17/16
By Anne Hayes Hartman
Two co-whistleblowers lost their bid before the Ninth Circuit last month to proceed with a False Claims Act case alleging that mortgage lenders and servicers defrauded Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Those who brought the case (the relators) alleged that the lenders and servicers (the defendants) violated the FCA by falsely certifying that loans purchased by Fannie and Freddie were free and...