If you have knowledge of fraud that was or is being committed against the federal government, you may be able to blow the whistle through a qui tam suit brought under the provisions of the False Claims Act– a legal mechanism designed to punish entities that defraud the government, while rewarding individuals who disclose and prosecute the fraud.
Mehri & Skalet attorneys Cyrus Mehri, Steve Skalet and Ellen Eardley have substantial experience developing and litigating False Claims Act cases, working closely with the federal government in prosecuting fraud on behalf of our whistleblower clients.
Indeed in response to the financial meltdown of 2008 and 2009, and with years of first-hand experience litigating whisteblower cases, Mehri & Skalet co-founded the Voices for Corporate Responsibility Project to prompt corporate employees to recognize wrongdoing in their own place of employment and take action. The Voices Project educates executives and professionals on their whisteblowing options, including legislative or regulatory reform, media or non-profit advocacy, negotiating severance packages, or filing a lawsuit.
What Is Qui Tam?
“Qui tam” is an abbreviated Latin phrase that means “he who sues on behalf of the King as well as for himself.”
The False Claims Act has a qui tam provision that gives whistleblowers the right to prosecute fraud cases on behalf of the federal government– and rewards them handsomely for their efforts. When a whistleblower brings a qui tam case under the False Claims Act, he or she is referred to as a “Relator.”
History of Qui Tam
In the 1860s, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law a federal statute to fight fraud. The law, known as the False Claims Act or the “Lincoln Law,” punishes those who defraud the federal government and rewards persons who disclose and prosecute the fraud.
In 1986, Congress breathed new life into the False Claims Act. Congress increased the statute’s penalties and damage provisions. And to ensure that those who defraud the government are caught and prosecuted, Congress greatly strengthened the whistleblower provision by increasing the whistleblower’s share of any money recovered by the government. Congress also expanded whistleblower rights under the statute, awarding successful whistleblowers attorneys’ fees to encourage their lawyers to take on the sometimes daunting legal battles, and creating a unique provision to protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
Recently qui tam laws were extended to include tax fraud cases. That is, if you have evidence that a person or entity defrauded the government by under paying their taxes we can file a claim that the government will investigate. If taxes are recovered, the client can receive up to 30% of the monies recovered.
Mehri & Skalet, PLLC, handles a full array of qui tam litigation, from defense industry procurement fraud, to healthcare fraud, to a host of other procurement and program fraud cases.
View our Current Cases and Results pages to read about cases that M&S has litigated.