Whistleblower News from the Inside - August 29, 2014

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

DOJ intervenes in qui tam case against Evercare Hospice — The government has elected to join a whistleblower lawsuit against the company for submitting false claims under the Medicare program.  Corporate Crime Reporter

Judge upholds landmark verdict in Chicago State University whistleblower case — The court upheld a verdict ordering over $3 million in damages and reinstatement for a former employee who was fired in retaliation for reporting alleged misconduct by top university officials — the first of its kind under a state ethics law.  Chicago Tribune

University of Michigan officer files whistleblower complaint regarding allegations of unsafe body armor — The officer claims top university officials demoted him after he blew the whistle on the police department’s lack of safe body armor.  MLive

Drug makers claim False Claims Act tramples their rights to free speech — The dispute turns on what drug makers are allowed to say about drugs regarding uses not approved by the FDA.  Wall Street Journal

Georgia senators to push for stronger whistleblower protections — The announcement comes in response to comments by Governor Nathan Deal suggesting he would narrow the scope of the state’s whistleblower law.  Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Congressional representative calls out Department of Labor for waste — Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) says the DOL is wasting money on “frivolous” PR efforts.  Washington Post