It is a sad fact that there always was always will be people that exploit their positions to steal from the government. Fraud is a widespread crime and it is not always easy to catch the perpetrators. Those guilty of defrauding the government salve their consciences by convincing themselves that it is not really wrong to take from the government. Upstanding citizens can, however, help fight this scourge. Being represented by a whistleblower attorney Seattle residents can bring this type of criminal to task.
The False Claims Act, or Lincoln Act as it is also known, was introduced by President Lincoln during the civil war. The purpose of the Act was to prevent fraudulent claims made upon the government by contractors that were appointed to supply the Union Army. This act remains in place to this day, although it was amended in 1986. It remains the most important weapon that tax payers have to recover billions falsely charged by contractors.
Cases lodged in terms of the False Claims Act by ordinary citizens are known as qui tam. This Latin term refers to a citizen that lodges a case on behalf of his king but also for himself. Any citizen can lodge a qui tam case if he believes that he has evidence of irresponsible spending, mismanagement of money and assets or even of illegal activities by any other person or organisation.
Citizens filing this type of case do not always do out out of patriotism or a strong sense of duty. They have an incentive to pursue these cases. If the case is prosecuted successfully, the defendant can be fined up to three times the amount involved in the case. In addition, civil penalties of up to eleven thousand dollars can be imposed. The citizen that filed the case will be awarded between 15 and 25 per cent of the amount thus recovered.
Whistleblowers, referred to as relators in these cases, need to appoint their own lawyers if they wish to share in the recovery made by the government. At present, almost 60 per cent of recoveries made by the government came about due to relators reporting and pursuing cases. Fortunately, most lawyers that take on such cases will act on a contingency basis.
Once a case is filed, the Justice Department needs some time to investigate the matter. They need to gather evidence against the defendant and the also need to make sure that the plaintiff actually has a valid case. That is why the case is sealed for sixty days after it is filed. This also means that the defendant is not informed about the case during this period.
Before approaching a lawyer, it is vital to gather as much information as possible. Documents, affidavits related to overheard conversations and details regarding the nature of the false claim should be gathered. The more information that can be presented the better. Lawyers that specialize in this type of case will not take on clients that only offer vague suspicions and hearsay evidence.
Tax payers have to foot the bill for fraudulent acts by unscrupulous people and organizations. The False Claims Act gives them the opportunity to do something about it and to get a reward to boot. Anyone that becomes aware of fraud, mismanagement or illegal acts should report the matter without delay.
The False Claims Act, or Lincoln Act as it is also known, was introduced by President Lincoln during the civil war. The purpose of the Act was to prevent fraudulent claims made upon the government by contractors that were appointed to supply the Union Army. This act remains in place to this day, although it was amended in 1986. It remains the most important weapon that tax payers have to recover billions falsely charged by contractors.
Cases lodged in terms of the False Claims Act by ordinary citizens are known as qui tam. This Latin term refers to a citizen that lodges a case on behalf of his king but also for himself. Any citizen can lodge a qui tam case if he believes that he has evidence of irresponsible spending, mismanagement of money and assets or even of illegal activities by any other person or organisation.
Citizens filing this type of case do not always do out out of patriotism or a strong sense of duty. They have an incentive to pursue these cases. If the case is prosecuted successfully, the defendant can be fined up to three times the amount involved in the case. In addition, civil penalties of up to eleven thousand dollars can be imposed. The citizen that filed the case will be awarded between 15 and 25 per cent of the amount thus recovered.
Whistleblowers, referred to as relators in these cases, need to appoint their own lawyers if they wish to share in the recovery made by the government. At present, almost 60 per cent of recoveries made by the government came about due to relators reporting and pursuing cases. Fortunately, most lawyers that take on such cases will act on a contingency basis.
Once a case is filed, the Justice Department needs some time to investigate the matter. They need to gather evidence against the defendant and the also need to make sure that the plaintiff actually has a valid case. That is why the case is sealed for sixty days after it is filed. This also means that the defendant is not informed about the case during this period.
Before approaching a lawyer, it is vital to gather as much information as possible. Documents, affidavits related to overheard conversations and details regarding the nature of the false claim should be gathered. The more information that can be presented the better. Lawyers that specialize in this type of case will not take on clients that only offer vague suspicions and hearsay evidence.
Tax payers have to foot the bill for fraudulent acts by unscrupulous people and organizations. The False Claims Act gives them the opportunity to do something about it and to get a reward to boot. Anyone that becomes aware of fraud, mismanagement or illegal acts should report the matter without delay.
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