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:
2021 was another banner year for whistleblowers, who once again collectively recovered billions of dollars for the government and hundreds of millions of dollars in whistleblower rewards under the various government whistleblower programs. This includes awards under the qui tam provisions of the federal False Claims Act and various state False Claims Act programs. It includes awards under the Dodd-Frank SEC...
Channeling the Whistleblower In Bob Dylan: His Top Ten Lyrics On Standing Up for Truth
Posted 05/28/21
Hard to believe this music and literary icon of the 1960's, and every generation since, turned 80 this week (May 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...
In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic uprooted our routines and put life on pause in 2020. But environmental fraud continued unabated, and so did enforcement actions against the perpetrators.
We saw two major enforcement actions relating to devices designed to evade emissions requirements, several enforcement actions relating to water contamination and the knowing sale of products containing harmful pollutants, and...
Top Ten Financial and Healthcare Fraud Prison Sentences of 2020
Posted 01/27/21
Individuals involved in financial and healthcare fraud schemes face not just civil liability, but also criminal penalties – including prison time. In 2020, the Department of Justice obtained substantial prison sentences in a myriad of cases involving healthcare and financial frauds, many of which involved convictions of the type of fraudulent schemes that whistleblowers report. Whistleblowers play an essential role...
2020 was a blockbuster year in the U.S. government’s battle against companies and individuals enmeshed in foreign bribery schemes. The list of 2020's largest settlements involving charges under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) includes many substantial recoveries. In 2020 the government recovered billions of dollars in settlement of claims under the FCPA, building on substantial recoveries just last...
2020 was another strong year for whistleblowers, who once again collectively recovered billions of dollars for the government and hundreds of millions of dollars in whistleblower rewards through their filing of lawsuits under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Whistleblowers this past year also continued to secure financial rewards under the Dodd-Frank SEC Whistleblower and CFTC Whistleblower programs,...
Despite its many shortcomings, 2020 did bring great news for whistleblowers: record-breaking growth in the CFTC and SEC Whistleblower Programs, as well as massive enforcement actions by both agencies. In this post, we will detail the Top Ten SEC and CFTC recoveries of 2020 in cases other than FCPA enforcement. As detailed below, the SEC netted billions of dollars in penalties and restitution from companies accused...
Top Ten State Healthcare and Financial Fraud Recoveries of 2020
Posted 01/8/21
State and local governments are on the front lines of enforcing anti-fraud laws and play a critical role in ensuring that businesses and individuals are held accountable. Whistleblowers with information about corporate misconduct involving healthcare, government procurement, financial regulation, and tax may find that state proceedings offer them the best option.
More than 30 states have False Claims Acts that...