Since 1986, financial awards under the False Claims Act have totaled more than $70 billion. This large sum reflects the importance of whistleblowers when it comes to ensuring that justice is done. Whistleblowers help fight corruption and fraud, saving taxpayers’ money and the government’s time.
Under the False Claims Act, a whistleblower, also known as a relator, can bring a lawsuit against an entity that has attempted to defraud the government out of funds. The law, first passed in 1863 in a response to defense contractor fraud during the Civil War, has since been amended several times to best incentivize whistleblowers to come forward with information and to protect them against retaliation.
Currently, the False Claims Act states that any party that has knowingly submitted false claims to the government can be held liable for treble damages (three times the amount of the government’s damages), plus a penalty for each claim that is linked to current inflation rates. This high financial penalty rate also benefits whistleblowers since private citizens who come forward with information and partake in the lawsuit are eligible to recover a percentage of the government’s overall recoupment. These payouts are not capped at any amount and can be sometimes up to 30% of the overall recovery.
According to data from the...
Pakistani actress and model Ayesha Omar has strongly denied a controversial statement falsely attributed to her on social media. In recent days, a statement circulated online claiming that the act...