Whistleblower News From The Inside — December 7, 2015
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
Environmental testing company will pay $3 million to settle allegations it failed to follow EPA standards – The federal government alleged that Accutest Corp. failed it properly extract soil and water samples, altered settings on testing machines and disregarded calibration protocols. The Massachustts AG also announced a settlement with the company: $100K for failing to comply with hazardous waste laws. DOJ Telegram
Appeals court says whistleblower can’t bring False Claims Act suit against Wayne State –The Sixth Circuit ruled that the University was a state entity and so immune from whistleblower suits. A former assistant professor alleged Wayne State inflated the costs of research on grant applications. Law 360 6th Circuit
Clinton’s plan to rein in Wall St includes enhancing rewards for whistleblowers — In a NYT op-ed piece, Hillary Clinton calls for going beyond Dodd-Frank with tougher rules, stronger enforcement and more accountability. NYT
Whistleblower doctor has his privileges restored – Dr. Mark Fahlen, who was fired by one hospital and lost privileges at another after he raised concerns about patient care, will again be able to see patients at Memorial Medical Center in Modesto, CA. Fahlen sued the hospitals under California’s whistleblower law, challenging their contention that he had to exhaust administrative remedies before he could proceed in court. Modesto Bee
Record $60 million fine proposed in Toshiba accounting scandal – Japanese regulators recommended the fine after the company admitted overstating its earnings by $1.9 billion over seven years. The head of the country’s Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission said that Japan is ramping up corporate governance. WSJ
EU calls for a crackdown on corporate tax avoidance – Leaders say that common consolidated tax laws are needed to fight tax abuses by large companies. The implementation of a single set of rules for calculating taxable profits in the EU would enable companies to file a single tax return, rather than file in each country where they operate. The European Committee of the Regions believes this will help fight tax fraud, tax avoidance and harmful tax competition. EU
Will new UK auditing rules mean financial crimes go undetected? — The Institute of Chartered Accountants is worried that rules designed to cut red tape will leave companies vulnerable to money-laundering and fraud. Only two percent of British businesses would be required to do a full audit. Telegraph UK