Practice Areas
Whistleblower (Qui Tam) Actions Under the False Claims Act
Under the Whistleblower (Qui Tam) provisions of the False Claims Act, a person can sue on behalf of the Federal Government if a fraud against the Government is discovered. This is sometimes referenced as a Qui Tam action.
The Qui Tam provisions of the False Claims Act date back to the days of Abraham Lincoln. Recognizing that the Federal Government was falling victim to large amounts of fraud while purchasing supplies for the Civil War, Lincoln fashioned a simple remedy based on his early experience as an attorney and litigator. Lincoln contemplated that if he could motivate individuals and attorneys to come forward and prosecute fraud being perpetrated against the Government, then that would go a long way to eliminating government fraud.
Today, millions and billions of dollars have been recovered under law suits filed by persons under the Qui Tam provisions of the False Claims Act. In return, the Federal Government will pass some of this recovery on to the person who has discovered the fraud and filed the law suit. Typically, this percentage ranges between 15 and 30 percent, depending on the various circumstances of the case.