By Steve Kardell | Published December 30, 2021 | Posted in Whistleblower Litigation | Tagged Tags: SEC, SEC award, SEC whistleblower program |
The SEC whistleblower program achieved a significant milestone at the beginning of September when it surpassed a total of $1 billion in awards. The agency announced this first whistleblower award in 2012, and since that time has seen steady increases in the amount of money it provides in awards to whistleblowers. As of early September, Read More
Read MoreColorado’s Air Pollution Control Division allegedly issued multiple air quality permits to facilities despite predictive models demonstrating those facilities could violate pollution standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These findings were released in a report from the Colorado Attorney General’s office. Case background In response to the report, state health officials say they Read More
Read MoreIn a September article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a whistleblower alleges executives of St. Therese of New Hope nursing home instructed staff to ignore protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The whistleblower was Brooke Peoples, who previously worked as an administrator at the facility in New Hope, Minnesota. She claims the instructions came from Read More
Read MoreBoston Scientific Corp. was ordered by a judge to pay $68,400 in fees and expenses after being sanctioned for violations in a whistleblower lawsuit surrounding allegedly defective defibrillators. The decision was handed down by U.S. Magistrate Judge Tony Leung in Minneapolis, who ruled the sanctions were a good compromise between the requested $114,000 from whistleblower Read More
Read MoreHealthcare organization Bayada recently agreed to pay $17 million to resolve claims that the organization engaged in a fraudulent kickback scheme. The allegations arose after the firm purchased a pair of home health agencies from a retirement home group operating in Arizona. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Jersey alleged the transaction made in 2014 Read More
Read MoreThe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced an award of $2.6 million shared among five individuals who assisted the agency with three separate enforcement proceedings. One whistleblower received $1.2 million from the SEC for providing crucial independent analysis based on an algorithm they developed and applied to public data. This assistance from the whistleblower Read More
Read MoreJohn Peter Smith Hospital recently agreed to pay $3.3 million to settle allegations of False Claims Act violations. The hospital was alleged to have upcoded claims submitted to healthcare programs to receive more money in reimbursements. Case background The lawsuit that prompted the FCA action originally was filed in 2018 by the former Director of Read More
Read MoreA hospital system based in Michigan agreed to settle a whistleblower claim for $2.8 million, ending a case that featured allegations it submitted false claims for medically unnecessary procedures. Ascension Michigan comprises St. John Hospital and Medical Center, St. John Macomb Oakland Hospital, Providence Park Hospital and Ascension Crittenton Hospital. The group agreed to pay Read More
Read MoreThere are not any federal laws that afford general protections to corporate whistleblowers. However, there are many types of protected disclosures under federal whistleblower laws. These protections come from a variety of sources, including the following: False Claims Act: The False Claims Act protects disclosures about fraud toward the government, including any actions taken to Read More
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