Whistleblower News From The Inside - February 3, 2015
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
S&P settles ongoing battle with US for almost $1.5B — After more than two years of hard-fought litigation, the ratings giant finally settled government charges relating to its allegedly fraudulent ratings of mortgage securities that soured in the runup to the 2008 financial crisis. Reuters
New York accuses retailers of selling fraudulent and contaminated dietary supplements — The state authorities say tests show roughly four out of five herbal supplements contain none of the herbs listed on their labels and often contain little more than cheap fillers like rice and house plants. NYT
Community Health Systems to pay $75M to settle whistleblower suit — The Tennessee-based hospital chain was charged with violating the False Claims Act by making illegal donations to county governments which were used to fund the state share of Medicaid payments to the hospitals. DOJ
Southwest Airlines pays $35,000 to settle mechanic’s whistleblower case — The settlement relates to charges of retaliation for the mechanic’s reporting fuselage cracks that grounded a Southwest airplane. Dallas News
TSA whistleblower wins case, but braces for long wait for back pay — Former air marshal Robert MacLean must wait for an administrative hearing to settle how much back pay he’s owed, and meanwhile “he’s virtually unemployable and $500,000 in debt thanks to his court battle.” NY Post
Minebea Co. to pay $13.5M criminal fine for price fixing — The Japanese-based small sized bearings manufacturer pleads guilty for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices for small sized ball bearings sold to customers in the US. DOJ