This archive includes posts from our “Top Ten” series, in which the Whistleblower Insider blog reviews notable government enforcement actions and whistleblower news – not always in groups of ten. Return to:
Happy Birthday, Patti Smith! 10 Lyrics to Honor the Powerhouse Punk Legend’s Whistleblower Spirit
Posted 12/30/24
The “Punk Poet Laureate” has played a unique role in music by blending poetry, punk rock, and countercultural ideas that have profoundly influenced culture and literature.
Smith’s raw, evocative lyrics often address cultural, social, and political issues with bold themes, creating art without compromise. She embraces personal freedom, authenticity, individualism, and the spirit of rebellion. While she isn’t...
Channeling the Whistleblower In Bob Dylan: His Top Ten Lyrics On Standing Up for Truth
Posted 12/23/24
With hundreds of songs, thousands of concerts, tens of millions of album sales, and an artistic career spanning more than half a century and counting, Bob Dylan’s influence and contributions to the greater good have been boundless. His litany of accolades offers just a taste of his grand accomplishment — Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Awards, Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame --...
Revolution Radio: 10 Green Day Lyrics That Ignite the Whistleblower Spirit
Posted 12/10/24
They’re the “Minority” and they “don’t need your authority.” But Green Day joins the ranks of countless seminal artists that take a stand, turn a critical lens on the world, and draw audiences in beyond power chords and a punk rock ethos.
Green Day’s music is jam-packed with quintessential ideas that whistleblowers often represent - calling out corruption, hypocrisy, injustice, and societal wrongs....
Power to the People: Top 10 Lyrics Channeling John Lennon’s Whistleblower Spirit
Posted 12/4/24
John Lennon, like so many of our music icons, was as much about the message as the music. In addition to his mellifluous melodies, Lennon was known for his outspoken political activism and unbridled willingness to challenge societal norms. He often used his music as a platform to express his beliefs, protest, seek truths, and advocate for peace and social justice.
As a solo artist outside of The Beatles, many of...
Top Ten Non-Healthcare False Claims Act Recoveries for 2023
Posted 01/30/24
It was another big year for DOJ enforcement under the False Claims Act, the government's primary fraud-fighting tool. As usual, most of the recoveries were in the healthcare space with seven of the Top Ten recoveries involving various schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. See our Top Ten FCA and Top Ten Healthcare FCA listings.
While healthcare recoveries dominated the Top Ten, two of the top five...
Top Ten Healthcare False Claims Act Recoveries for 2023
Posted 01/30/24
This past year was another big year for DOJ enforcement under the False Claims Act, the government's primary fraud-fighting tool. And as we noted in our recent Top Ten listing of False Claims Act recoveries for 2023, all but 3 of the Top Ten recoveries were in the healthcare space involving various schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. So here is our look at the Top Ten healthcare recoveries for...
It was an active year for fraud enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Though by no means was it a record year for either regulator in terms of big-ticket wins. Aside from the CFTC's $1.7 billion recovery from South African crypto company Mirror Trading for foul play with foreign currency transactions, the balance of the Top-10 recoveries was...
2023 was another big year for whistleblowers, helping the government recover billions of dollars in dozens of fraud enforcement actions. As usual, virtually all these whistleblower-prompted recoveries were under the government's three primary whistleblower rewards programs -- the False Claims Act, the SEC Whistleblower Program, and the CFTC Whistleblower Program. Successful whistleblowers under each of these...
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) bars payments to foreign officials for any kind of business advantage, such as securing government contracts or other kinds of favorable business treatment. The statute covers any form of consideration including gifts, meals, travel, and entertainment. It also imposes strict record-keeping and internal control requirements to prevent falsifying company books and records...
Top Ten SEC and CFTC Whistleblower Awards for 2023
Posted 01/16/24
It was a relatively quiet year for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in their payout of whistleblower awards under their respective whistleblower programs. Under the SEC Program and CFTC Program -- both enacted under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act -- whistleblowers who provide information that leads to a successful government...