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“There
is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people
more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding
the Government. ”
--Benjamin
Franklin (1706 - 1790)
all
calls and inquiries to the schofner law firm will be
handled in the strictest confidence by our attorneys
and staff.
What is the “False Claims
Act?”
“False
Claims” are fraudulent financial claims against
the United States government. The False Claims Act is
an act by which the U.S. Federal Government controls
and punishes the waste of taxpayer funds by Government
vendors or contractors. President Abraham Lincoln urged
Congress to pass the False Claims Act in 1863 to empower
patriotic Americans to assist the government in the
fight against dishonest government contractors. Most
of these contractors were fleecing the Union Army during
the Civil War, providing faulty supplies and materials
to the war effort for their own financial gain.
In 1986,
the federal government enacted amendments to the False
Claims Act. These amendments strengthened the False
Claims Act by allowing U.S. citizens who assist the
government in the recovery of misappropriated or ill-gotten
public funds to share in that financial recovery. This
encourages private citizens to take an active role in
policing government spending and ultimately lowers the
government’s costs of doing business. Citizens
or organizations that bring suits under the False Claims
Act are often referred to as “whistleblowers.”
The amendments of 1986 gave whistleblowers special rights
of protection in exposing fraud and abuse. For example,
the amendments provided protections designed to help
prevent retaliation against an employee by an offending
employer in a False Claims case. More about
Whistleblower Rights>>
False
Claims lawsuits are also referred to as “Qui Tam”
cases. “Qui Tam” is a Latin phrase that
has its origins in English law centuries ago. In Latin,
the phrase “Qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se
ipso” means “He who sues on behalf of the
king sues also for himself.” In an age before
organized law enforcement, Qui Tam laws encouraged the
king’s subjects to assist with keeping the kingdom
from going bankrupt by helping to facilitate an honest
business environment.
If you have questions about the False
Claims Act, or if you or someone you know has knowledge
of financial fraud or abuse of the Federal Government,
please contact
The Schofner Law Firm or call (800)-891-9996.
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