[Updated June 2020] Lawyers have a duty to protect their clients. Under our legal system, even the worst and most depraved criminals are entitled to legal representation. Our Founding Fathers wisely decided that the right to counsel was so important, that it needed to be part of the constitution and protected for all time’s sake. […]
Whistleblowers and Security Clearances
There was an interesting article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal; a front page piece on US Investigations Services LLC (better known as USIS). They are the firm that gave Edward Snowden his security clearance. According to the Journal, USIS’ CEO Bill Mixon was “flogging” his employees for not expediting security clearances. One former company official […]
Employment Specialists of Maine Settles False Claims Suit
[Post updated through 2021] Employment Specialists of Maine, known locally as ESM, is a private community rehabilitation provider in Maine. It provides services for many Maine residents struggling with intellectual disabilities. The company relies heavily on funding from the federal Medicaid program as well as state tax dollars. Earlier this year ESM settled charges that […]
Supreme Court May Take Up False Claims Act Appeal
The United States Supreme Court is considering hearing an appeal of the dismissal of a False Claims Act case. Noel Nathan was a sales manager employed by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. He claimed his employer was committing Medicare fraud by overprescribing prescription antacids. A federal judge in Virginia dismissed his complaint saying that Nathan did not plead […]
Whistleblower Case Leads to Settlement, Class Action Suit
Five students have filed a class action lawsuit against for profit Globe University after an earlier whistleblower case resulted in a $395,000 judgment against the school. The students claim the university misleads prospective students and lies about job placement rates. Earlier this summer, a former dean of the school, Heidi Weber, won a $395,000 judgment after […]
"No Prescription Equals False Claims"
“No prescription equals false claims,” that was part of warning issued by PharMerica’s own auditor after finding that many of the company’s were sending out drugs without a written prescription. Last Friday’s false claims act suit filed by the Justice Department in Milwaukee comes as no surprise. New details show the pharmacy giant was warned […]
PharMerica Whistleblower Suits – (Some Companies Just Don’t Learn)
[Updated through 2020] We originally wrote this post in August 2013. That is when the federal government filed suit against PharMerica Corp, a major long-term care pharmacy. The lawsuit was originally begun in 2009 by a former PharMerica employee turned whistleblower. Eleven years and 31.5 million later, the company still hasn’t learned its lesson. That […]
College Pays Millions In Whistleblower Suit
Northwestern University settled federal fraud charges yesterday following a suit filed by a whistleblower under the federal False Claims Act. University administrators agreed to repay the government $3 million although admitted no wrongdoing. False claims act cases against non-profits are still rare but are increasing in frequency. According to the complaint unsealed yesterday, Professor Charles […]