Payments News Update – April 18, 2025
Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Republicans Pressure Fed on Debit Card Fees Payments Dive – April 14, 2025 Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee are seeking to reverse a late 2023 Federal Reserve decision that would cut fees that large financial institutions can charge merchants when consumers use debit cards to pay for goods and services. The 14 Republicans, including the committee’s chairman, Rep. French Hill, wrote to Fed...
Beyoncé, Clairo, Lady Gaga, and More Artists Who Amplified Their Whistleblower Spirit at Coachella
Coachella 2025 was jam-packed with artists and cultural icons who went beyond the music to speak out on some of the most pressing issues of the day, encouraging the audience to follow suit. It was all in keeping with the tradition this festival has come to represent of providing an annual space where culture and consciousness collide and art and activism take center stage. Musicians have always been instrumental in...
Former CEO of e-Commerce App nate Charged with Securities Fraud for Allegedly False Claims About AI
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Lawyer Team This year, we’ve been tracking the notable spike in enforcement actions concerning AI washing or other AI-related fraud. These types of schemes generally involve an individual or company allegedly deceiving investors with misstatements or omissions about AI use or capabilities to make the company appear better than it is. Another such enforcement action came this month when the government announced charges against Albert Saniger,...
DOJ Shows Continued Commitment to Use False Claims Act to Target Procurement Fraud
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Lawyer Team Last Wednesday (April 9), the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Virginia-based government contractor DynCorp International agreed to pay $21 million to settle charges it violated the False Claims Act by overbilling the State Department under its longtime contract to train Iraqi “CIVPOL” police forces. This is just the latest example of DOJ using the False Claims Act to go after government procurement...
Enforcement Push Targeting COVID-19 PPP Loan Fraud Continues: Entities Agree to Pay $12M+ to Settle False Claims Act Charges
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team The emergency phase of COVID-19 might be over, but the government is still uncovering pandemic-related loan fraud as it continues to announce many enforcement actions. This week, the government announced two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud enforcement actions. One case was brought by a whistleblower and involved a Virginia-based non-profit. A separate case involved Massachusetts businessman Herbert G. Chambers, his entities, and one of...
Startup Scandals and the Risks of “Fake-It-Till-You-Make-It” Culture
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team Startups and entrepreneurs should be admired. It takes courage to go out on your own, take big risks, and try to bring a new idea to market. They have an unrelenting drive to succeed. But there are very real legal risks when that drive leads to a “fake-it-till-you-make-it” culture that crosses the line. In recent years, the government has cracked down on these types of...
Payments News Update – April 11, 2025
Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Swipe Fee Foes Find Legislative Support in Almost a Dozen States Payments Dive – March 28, 2025 Inspired by an Illinois law, legislators in multiple states are working to ban card swipe fees on sales tax and gratuities, with proposals pushed by retailers and restaurateurs gaining momentum. In recent years, merchants of all sizes have decried rising fees for customers’ credit and debit card transactions,...
Military Contractor Pays $15.7M to Settle False Claims Act Charges of Failing to Comply with Required Military Specs
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team On April 1, TE Connectivity Corporation subsidiary DRI Relays agreed to pay $15.7 million to settle Department of Justice (DOJ) charges of violating the False Claims Act by supplying military parts that did not meet military specifications. DRI makes electrical relays and sockets for various military applications, with manufacturing locations in New York and India. Military Procurement Fraud Is an Enforcement Priority According to...
Government Files False Claims Act Complaint Against Vohra Wound Physicians Management and Its Owner
On April 4, the government announced it filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Vohra Wound Physicians Management LLC (Vohra), its entities, and its founder Dr. Ameet Vohra. Among other violations, the government alleged the company submitted false claims to Medicare for upcoded and medically unnecessary wound care services. Vohra, one of the country’s largest wound care providers, has contracts with hundreds of nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities,...
“Whistle Boeing,” “SpaceXplosion,” and More Song Lyrics That Channel Jesse Welles’s Inner Whistleblower
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team There is a yearning these days for the raw honesty and integrity that exemplifies the artistry of singer-songwriter Jesse Welles. That is why so many of his folk protest songs have gone viral, resonating with so many of us seeking some clarity and comfort from the troubled times we live in. Like so many of the music greats he follows, several of whom we...