I recently filed a $56,000,000 whistleblower lawsuit against a public corporation that was engaging in defrauding the federal government out of custom duties. The suit was filed in federal court under seal. I represent a former employee who uncovered the fraud and felt compelled to put a stop to the company’s actions.
A whistleblower lawsuit, filed under the false claims act, is when a person who is the original source of information discovers a fraud against the government. This person, known as a Relator, usually contacts a lawyer who in turn informs the government about the fraud. The government then investigates and decides if it wants to intervene. The relator is entitled to a bounty which equals a percentage of the recovery.
In our case the United States Attorney’s office did not have sufficient time to investigate and allowed me to take the lead in the lawsuit. I will be working with the United States Attorney’s office. Presently, the case has been unsealed and the litigation is proceeding.