Supreme Court Expands SOX Whistleblower Protections
The Supreme Court issued a win for whistleblowers yesterday. In Lawson v. FMR LLC, 571 U.S. ____, slip op. (March 4, 2014), the Court held that
Tax Court Rules Whistleblower Reward is Ordinary Income
Despite arguments from whistleblowers to the contrary, the government continues to demand whistleblowers pay taxes on money awarded under the False Claims Act as ordinary income. On Monday, the
SEC 2014 Focus: Reverse Churning and IRA Rollovers
The SEC released its annual Examination Priorities for the new year in January. Among the list are two practices which may steer investors to accounts with higher
The Top 12 Tax Scams in 2014
The IRS just released its annual list of the Dirty Dozen tax scams to watch out for this year. The list identifies fraud the IRS
U.S. Businesses Combat Fraud Through Internal Initiatives
Corporations have put millions of dollars into compliance programs in order to detect fraud and employee misconduct internally. A new survey from PricewaterhouseCoopers, however, provides some
Lesson From Fifth Circuit: Don’t Delay Filing Your False Claims Act Lawsuit
It may be tempting to report misconduct to the government outside of the formal procedures provided by whistleblower laws. It would be comparatively easy for a
FDA Examines Drug Quality from Overseas Facilities.
The United States Food and Drug Administration has stepped up enforcement efforts against overseas exporters of drugs to the U.S. in light of recent reports
Blockbuster Year Predicted for the FCPA in 2014
Less than two months in to the new year, individuals are already predicting a massive year for prosecutions and settlements in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act cases, according to
Workplace Misconduct Falls to Historic Low
A biennial survey of workers at for-profit companies declared victory for ethics and compliance programs in 2013. Whistleblowers, however, still face retaliation at alarming levels
False Claims Act Case Over Customs Duties Near Settlement
When the Department of Justice reported its Fiscal Year 2013 results, it put the use of the False Claims Act to fight health care fraud
New York Recovers $851 Million in Medicaid Fraud Case
New York, home to one of the nation’s largest Medicaid programs, recovered $851 million in taxpayer funds in 2013. The amount nearly doubled New York’s
A Growing Problem in Tax Fraud: Identity Theft
There is a new target for identity thieves: the Federal Government. The thieves are using personal information to file a fraudulent tax return with the
Whistleblower Set to Receive Award in JP Morgan Settlement
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (Manhattan) unsealed a whistleblower lawsuit against financial services firm JPMorgan this week. The qui
Judge Says $1 Million Fine Too Low for Countrywide Mortgage Fraud
A federal judge has signaled that $1 million is too low of a penalty for those responsible for the Countrywide mortgage fraud debacle. At a hearing last
DOJ Reaches False Claims Act Resolution With Defense Contractor
The U.S. Department of Justice recently partially unsealed a whistleblower’s false claims act case against Federal Cartridge Co., a subsidiary of Alliant Techsystems, Inc., alleging
SEC Whistleblowers: No Jury Trial in Retaliation Cases
A recent decision in a Georgia federal court presents serious implications for SEC whistleblowers subject to retaliatory employment actions. In an apparent case of first impression, on
Caremark False Claims Act Case Settles for $4.25 Million
$4.25 Million for Caremark False Claims Act Case Yesterday the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced an agreement with Caremark, LLC to settle allegations filed
Contractor Defrauds DOD for Fresh Produce
On November 19, 2013, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced that FreshPoint, Inc., the nation’s largest distributor of fresh produce, agreed to settle claims that