Whistleblower Rewards Total Nearly $5 Billion under False Claims Act in 2012

On December 4, 2012 the Justice Department announced that in fiscal year ending in September 30, 2012 the United States recovered a total of $4.9 billion in whistleblower rewards in the form of settlements and judgments in civil cases involving fraud against the federal government. The Justice Department reports that this figure is the highest recovery for a single year since the False Claims Act was amended in 1986, surpassing the previous record by over $1.7 billion. This total brings the total of recoveries under the False Claims Act since January 2009 to $13.3 billion.

Attorney General Eric Holder stated:

“Today’s announcement underscores the Obama Administration’s ongoing commitment to recover losses, to prevent fraud, to bring abuses to light, and to hold accountable those who violate the law and exploit some of the government’s most critical programs… Thanks to the dedicated work of attorneys, investigators, analysts, and support staff at every level of the Justice Department – along with our state and local partners across the country – we have secured the largest annual recovery in the Department’s history.   By aggressively investigating allegations of waste and pursuing those who would take advantage of the most vulnerable members of society, I’m confident that we will continue to build on this historic progress in the months and years ahead.”

The Employment Law Group® law firm’s whistleblower attorneys have helped many clients file suit against employers that fraudulently bill the U.S. government, and have established favorable precedents under the retaliation provision of the False Claims Act.

Tagged: False Claims Act (FCA), Whistleblower Laws (Federal)