The False Claims Act is a shield and a sword for whistleblowers who report fraud against the government. Both federal and state False Claims Acts protect whistleblowers from retaliation and allow whistleblowers to receive an award for reporting fraud. The False Claims Acts empower whistleblowers to file “qui tam” claims on behalf of the [...]

Lawsuits under the False Claims Act require that the defendant acted with scienter.  Simply put, there must be evidence that the defendant “knowingly” defrauded the government.  31 U.S.C. § 3729(a). While the Act does require some knowledge of the fraudulent nature of defendant’s actions, this is not a requirement of intent.  In fact, the [...]

Florida’s False Claims Act allows private citizens to bring whistleblower actions against a person or company that commits fraud by submitting false claims for payment from the State of Florida. The Act allows a whistleblower to recover a portion of the overall monetary recovery. Florida’s False Claims Act is similar to the Federal False [...]