Whistleblower News from the Inside - March 11, 2014

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

SEC probes Halliburton anti-whistleblower activity – The investigation centers on claims that the company has required whistleblowers seeking to report fraud to sign confidentiality statements barring them from disclosing the allegations to federal prosecutors and investigators.  Washington Post

Another vindicated but broken whistleblower – The extortion case against Hasidic whistleblower Samuel Kellner was thrown out as frivolous but he has suffered terribly in his efforts to report the sexual abuse of his son by a prominent Hasidic cantor.  NYT

Halifax to pay $85 million to settle Medicare fraud charges – The action originated with the filing of a whistleblower action under the False Claims Act by the hospital’s director of physician services accusing the facility of filing false Medicare claims and paying doctors improperly.  AP

Whistleblowers not invited to Senate hearing on Hanford whistleblower retaliation – A Senate hearing on retaliation against whistleblowers who identified safety concerns at the Hanford nuclear waste cleanup site will go forward today without the whistleblowers.  WSJ

Senate Intelligence Committee Chair accuses CIA of illegally searching Senate computer network – Senator Dianne Feinstein speaks out on an internal CIA investigation that has been referred to the DOJ for possible criminal prosecution.  Washington Post

Shadow hangs over Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox bankruptcy filing – Critics claim the filing is a ruse aimed at halting U.S. legal action by traders who allege the operation was a fraud.  Reuters