Whistleblower News From The Inside -- January 11, 2017

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team

The Office of Special Counsel confirms allegations of Phoenix VA whistleblower – The OSC sent Congress and the White House its investigative findings in connection with allegations made by Kuauhtemoc Rodriguez, chief of specialty care clinics at the Phoenix VA. The OSC confirmed Rodriguez’s allegations that the Phoenix VA hospital “continues to struggle with significant patient wait times.” OSC Press Release

Port Authority to pay $400k penalty in Pulaski Skyway case – “The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will pay $400,000 to settle charges it misled investors by failing to disclose disputes within the agency about the legality of a scheme to use the authority’s money to repair New Jersey roads, according to a settlement announced Tuesday.” AP

Budgetary Control Committee calls for new EU whistleblower protections – A European Parliamentary committee has called on the European Commission to establish a new program to help whistleblowers find “the right channels to disclose their information on possible irregularities.” EU Press Release

Federal judge reduces jury award against Wal-Mart in whistleblower suit – In January 2016, a jury awarded $31.5 million in damages to Maureen McPadden, a former Wal-Mart pharmacist who alleged that she was terminated by the company after raising concerns about its drug prescribing practices. Yesterday, a federal judge cut that award in half. New Hampshire Union Leader

Trump slams prescription drug companies over pricing – During his first press conference as President-elect, Trump declared that pharmaceutical companies are “getting away with murder,” and vowed to establish “new bidding procedures” in connection with federal government purchases of prescription drugs. Stat News