NASAA Approves Model Whistleblower Award and Protection Act with Changes Recommended by Constantine Cannon Attorneys
Posted 10/2/20
Earlier this year, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) proposed a Model Whistleblower Award and Protection Act that would help states bolster their securities enforcement by incentivizing whistleblowers. Constantine Cannon attorneys Eric Havian, Michael Ronickher, and Chris McLamb teamed up with Alexis Ronickher of Katz Marshall & Banks LLP to comment on the proposal, encouraging NASAA...
Earlier this week, the SEC announced an award of more than $10 million "to a whistleblower whose information and assistance were of crucial importance to a successful SEC enforcement action." This brings the total tally under the SEC's Whistleblower Program to $520 million in awards to 94 whistleblowers since the first award in 2012.
It also marks the latest in a flood of awards this year, including the $50...
Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Client Featured in Congressional Report on the 737 MAX
Posted 09/17/20
On September 16, 2020, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released the final report in its eighteen-month investigation into the development, production, and certification of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which paints a detailed and troubling picture of the 737 MAX and the fateful flaws that caused two deadly crashes. The report depicts a culture of profits over safety at Boeing that metastasized...
SEC Again Postpones Hearing on Controversial Whistleblower Award Rule Amendments
Posted 09/11/20
For the second time, the SEC pulled the plug on hearings to consider amendments to some key rules affecting its whistleblower reward program. Just a day before hearings scheduled for September 2, 2020, the SEC canceled them, indicating only that they would be rescheduled for a future date. The Commission had done the same thing in fall 2019, abandoning hearings at the last minute.
There are many potential...
How Pennsylvania Can Win the Battle Against COVID-19 Fraud
Posted 09/11/20
With co-author Jack Kolar of the Government Accountability Project.
Legislation is now before the Pennsylvania Senate that, if signed into law, would protect COVID-19 stimulus funds, as well as other state programs, from fraud. As former federal prosecutors and current whistleblower attorneys, we strongly urge all Pennsylvanians to support enactment of the Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Act (CFPA). While the...
Partner Mary Inman discusses whistleblowing, blackballing and the role of compliance in ComplianceLine webinar "Whistleblowing: Defending the Accuser and the Accused"
Watch: Jessica Moore Discusses Assisted Living Facility Safety on Tampa’s ABC Action News
Posted 09/4/20
Constantine Cannon has been following the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Residents and workers at nursing homes make up a disproportionate share of U.S. coronavirus deaths, and the pandemic has imposed unique burdens on the industry.
Florida recently implemented standards that will allow visitors in to long-term care facilities, if those facilities meet specific criteria. ...
Top Takeaways from Former DOJ Civil Chief Jody Hunt on the Current State of False Claims Act Enforcement
Posted 08/28/20
Law360 recently interviewed former DOJ Civil Chief Jody Hunt on what he sees as the key issues surrounding False Claims Act enforcement these days. Here are the top takeaways:
COVID-relief fraud will be a DOJ priority. No surprise there given the billions of dollars the federal government is pouring into the economy to alleviate some of the financial strain the pandemic is wreaking on healthcare providers...
Windfall to Health Insurers Due to COVID-19 Is Not Yet Resulting in Resolution of FCA Risk Adjustment Cases
Posted 08/21/20
As health insurers book record profits during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a dramatic decline in elective surgeries and procedures, this seems like a good time to ask about the status of False Claims Act litigation against Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) relating to risk adjustment fraud. Given the dire shortfall in state and federal money to fight the pandemic, when will MAOs begin paying back the billions...
It hasn’t been a great week for Australian whistleblowers.
Two days ago, the Guardian revealed that the Australian Home Affairs Department had inadvertently revealed the identity of a whistleblower by mistakenly sending confidential written materials to another, unrelated complainant’s email address. The Department apologized for the “blunder,” which is a criminal offense in Australia.
A week ago,...