Media Coverage
The media in Washington, DC — and well beyond — paid lots of attention when TELG client Nathan Davidheiser was revealed as the whistleblower who alerted authorities to the use of substandard concrete on the Silver Line, an extension of DC's Metro system that remains under construction. In interviews, including with News4, the local NBC station, TELG principal David Scher said he's pleased that the U.S. Department of Justice has chosen to support Mr. Davidheiser's lawsuit.
Scher
Bloomberg Environment interviewed TELG's R. Scott Oswald about possible changes to how whistleblower retaliation complaints are handled by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Scott said that OSHA's priority should be to speed up its investigations — and to make it easier for whistleblowers to move their cases to federal court, if they prefer that route.
Law360 interviewed TELG principal Nicholas Woodfield about reports that several federal employees were punished after questioning expenditures by Scott Pruitt, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Nick said that the employees appear to have a strong basis for claiming illegal whistleblower retaliation, based on media coverage.
February 22, 2018
The Daily Times, a newspaper based in Salisbury, Md., along with other Maryland media, reported on a whistleblower case filed under the federal False Claims Act by TELG client Bryan Arvey, a former ambulance driver for Hart to Heart Transportation Services. Mr. Arvey claims that Hart to Heart and related parties billed Medicare for unnecessary services such as ambulance transportation and use of stretchers.
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February 01, 2018
The Hill newspaper interviewed TELG's Nicholas Woodfield about President Trump's request for the power to fire federal employees "who undermine the public trust or fail the American people." Mr. Woodfield said that such arbitrary firing power could devastate the federal workforce.
January 24, 2018
For a report on the legal impact of #MeToo and the related Time's Up initiative, Law360 interviewed TELG's Nicholas Woodfield and other attorneys and concluded that — despite a surge in high-profile allegations of sexual harassment — women in "regular" workplaces still face retaliation and other unfair obstacles that limit their willingness to sue their employers.
January 10, 2018
The Politics Guys podcast interviewed TELG's Scott Oswald on a number of whisteblower-related topics — including the difference between whistleblowing and leaking. Host Mike Baranowski also talked with Scott what companies must do, legally speaking, to act against discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace.
January 10, 2018
Law360 interviewed TELG principal Nicholas Woodfield about a report predicting that the Trump administration will pursue fewer class action lawsuits to enforce workplace laws, and that plaintiff-side law firms will pick up the slack. Nick said that may be true in part — but that government neglect may allow some worthy cases to fall through the cracks.
December 05, 2017
The David Pakman Show, a current-affairs video podcast, interviewed TELG's Scott Oswald about the law behind a recent string of sexual misconduct allegations against public figures. Scott also discussed employers' broad legal responsibilities toward their employees in situations involving harassment — their obligation to protect workers, and their obligation to respond to complaints.
Fox 9 News in Minnesota, along with other local and national media, reported on an $850,000 settlement between the U.S. government and a dermatologist based in Burnsville, Minn. who was accused of defrauding the federal Medicare program. The whistleblower in the case was TELG client Jeff Samuelson, whose story was explained to Fox 9 by his attorney, TELG principal David L. Scher.
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November 09, 2017
Law360 reported on TELG client Linda Barrick's filing of a proposed class action lawsuit against Penn National Gaming, owner of the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in West Virginia. Ms. Barrick claims that the casino illegally diverts money from an employee tip pool to cover other costs.
September 11, 2017
Reuters reported on a victory for TELG whistleblower client Mary Kaye Welch: A federal appeals panel ruled that her former employer can't force her fraud lawsuit—which she had filed on behalf of U.S. taxpayers—into private arbitration based on the boilerplate text of her hiring agreement. In a 3-0 decision the judges said the language of Ms. Welch's hiring agreement doesn't cover this dispute, allowing her case to resume in a lower court.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) quoted TELG's Scott Oswald in its online coverage of a high-profile lawsuit against Bass Pro Outdoor World, which agreed to pay $10.5 million to settle an EEOC complaint that it discriminated against Black and Hispanic job applicants.
August 09, 2017
1A, a talk show heard nationally on National Public Radio, invited TELG's Dave Scher to participate in its recent one-hour segment on the limits — and consequences — of free speech in the workplace. The topic was inspired by the firing of Google engineer James Damore for a memo that criticized company efforts to help women to get ahead. The show was hosted by John Donvan, standing in for Joshua Johnson.
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August 07, 2017
The Buffalo Law Journal previewed the latest edition of "The False Claims Act Today," a traveling series of seminars about the FCA that is moderated by TELG's Scott Oswald. The Buffalo event on September 19 will feature a panel discussion and practice tips from local attorneys, a federal judge, and an assistant U.S. Attorney.
The State Journal, a newspaper based in West Virginia, reported on TELG client Michael Barrick's claim that he was illegally fired by Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races after raising concerns about an illegal sports-betting ring being run by casino employees on the casino's property.
July 05, 2017
Rocket Matter's Legal Productivity blog reported on lawyers' favorite podcasts. TELG's David Scher nominated "Amicus," a podcast that follows the doings of the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Law360 quoted Scott Oswald on the likely fallout of the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion in Kokesh v. SEC, which limits the agency's power to seek "disgorgement" of ill-gotten gains. Beyond making it easier for scammers to keep profits from their crimes, Scott noted, the decision also could hurt the Investor Protection Fund, which is used to reward securities whistleblowers under the Dodd-Frank Act.
MultiBriefs, a publisher of e-mail newsletters, reported on the inevitability of office romance—and how employers can minimize the trouble that sometimes follows. Its roundup quoted TELG principal David Scher, who stressed the importance of written policies and active communication.
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NBC News and other major media covered an $89 million settlement between the U.S. government and Financial Freedom, the troubled reverse-mortgage provider once led by Steven Mnuchin — now U.S. Treasury Secretary. The deal was made possible by TELG client Sandy Jolley, a consumer advocate who received $1.6 million for blowing the whistle on Financial Freedom's shady practices.
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