The False Claims Act: It Benefits More than Just the Government
Posted 03/5/21
The False Claims Act, a Civil War-era law, encourages private individuals, such as whistleblowers, to come forward and file suit against unscrupulous government contractors, and share in the government's recovery. The passage of the law was inspired by contractors selling the Union Army bags of sand as flour, lame mules as cavalry horses, and glued-together rags as uniforms.
The main purpose of the law is, of...
DOJ Previews False Claims Act Enforcement Priorities for 2021
Posted 03/5/21
The False Claims Act is the federal government's primary enforcement tool to combat fraud against the public. Every year the government recovers billions of dollars under the statute, primarily with the help of whistleblowers. Under the so-called qui tam provisions of the act, whistleblowers are authorized to act as private attorneys general and bring lawsuits on behalf of the government and recover a portion of...
Arizona Software Glitch Keeps Prisoners Incarcerated, Until the Whistleblowers Showed Up
Posted 03/5/21
In a story straight out of a dystopian novel, a faulty computer system has kept Arizona prisoners locked up beyond their release date. A government contractor, Business & Decision, North America, built a system that is supposed to calculate each person’s release date. In exchange, the contractor received $24 million from the state. The system, however, didn’t work, leaving hundreds of people behind bars who...
The Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team is pleased to introduce The Whistleblower's Book Shelf, an ongoing series of reviews of books and other media that address fraud and aspects of the whistleblower odyssey. Please drop us a line if there is anything you would like to see us review!
It has become commonplace to see white collar crime cases, committed by big-name corporations and high-profile individuals,...
A Better Approach for Encouraging Would-Be Whistleblowers to Stand Up and Be Heard
Posted 02/17/21
There is a clear recognition these days that whistleblowers play a critical role in rooting out fraud and misconduct. That is why Congress has passed an ever-increasing array of legislation aimed at protecting and rewarding whistleblowers.
There is the False Claims Act, which rewards and protects whistleblowers who report fraud against the federal government. A majority of states have passed analogous state...
DOJ Reports Decline in Total Fraud Recoveries in 2020, but Whistleblower Efforts and Rewards Continue
Posted 01/14/21
In its annual report of recoveries in fraud and False Claims Act cases, the Department of Justicereported total recoveries of $2.2 billion for the fiscal year ending September 2020. These recoveries represent the lowest reported DOJ recoveries since 2008.
While it is the decline in recoveries that stands out, the 2020 DOJ fraud statistics do share some things in common with prior years. First, whistleblowers...
Vote Here Now for the 2020 Whistleblower of the Year
Posted 01/8/21
Thank you for voting for the 2020 Whistleblower of the Year. Polls are now closed and we are pleased to announce that Rebekah Jones is our 2020 winner!
Whistleblower Insider wants to hear from you on who should be honored as our 2020 Whistleblower of the Year. As in past years, we are especially interested in those individuals who best encapsulate the qualities of the typical whistleblower — courage, strength,...
2020 Whistleblower of the Year Candidate – Dr. Rick Bright
Posted 01/8/21
Scientists within federal agencies don’t normally have to put their jobs and reputation on the line in order to do what until recently we took for granted: that the federal government would take action consistent with the best scientific methods and evidence when the country is faced with a grave and immediate public health threat. But the last four years during the Trump administration have been anything but...
2020 Whistleblower of the Year Candidate – Dr. Yasmine Motarjemi
Posted 01/8/21
Despite its dominance as the world’s largest food and beverage company, Nestlé has nonetheless had a staggering number of controversies over its business practices. Child labor, unethical promotion, manipulating uneducated mothers, pollution, price fixing, and mislabeling are just a few of the many issues that have plagued Nestlé over the years. Dr. Yasmine Motajemi importantly has now added food safety and...