As I have explained before, the False Claims Act is quite an old law. It was signed into law by Abraham Lincoln to prevent war profiteers from supplying the Army with faulty goods during the Civil War. As the saying goes, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” What I mean by that is that the war profiteering problems that existed in the Civil War era persist today. As evidence of this, I have written the following blog post describing a recent case settle by 3M where they agreed to pay $9.1 million to settle a qui tam whistleblower claim that they supplied faulty earplugs to the United States Army. The government only became aware of the faulty earplugs because of a whistleblower’s brave work exposing the defective products.
Whistleblowers receive 15% to 30% of any recovery the government makes after prosecuting their case, and government contracts often run into the tens of millions of dollars, often making the whistleblowers’ rewards quite significant. The rich bounty program and robust legal prohibitions against retaliation are aimed at enticing employees with insider information regarding fraud to take the risk of reporting it to the government.
Do you know about fraud in the finance industry? Are you considering filing a whistleblower case?
Call Barrett Law now at (800) 707-9577 if you think you may be a whistleblower.
The 3M Case
The Minnesota-based 3M Company will resolve allegations that it knowingly sold the U.S. military defective earplugs. To settle the case, 3M will pay $9.1 million, but will not admit to any wrongdoing. In this case, the whistleblower disclosed that the 3M Company sold dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 (CAEv2) when it was aware that the earplugs had a defect that prevented their effectiveness. Specifically, 3M knew that the earplugs were too short and could loosen in a way that made them ineffective when used by military personnel.
The quote regarding the 3M settlement from the Army could have come from a Civil War general, as the interest in protecting troops from faulty equipment is as keen today as when the False Claims Act was first signed, “Today’s settlement will ensure that those who do business with the government know that their actions will not go unnoticed,” said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit, in a press release issued by the Justice Department. “Properly made safety equipment, for use by our Soldiers, is vital to our military’s readiness. Our agents will respond robustly to protect the safety of our military.”
What Should You Do if You are Considering a Whistleblower Claim?
Do you know about fraud occurring against the government? Are you considering filing a whistleblower case? The reward for submitting a successful claim can be massive. In the 3M matter that I described above, the whistleblower will receive almost two million dollars. But you will only receive this sort of reward with the help of an experienced False Claims Act attorney. The United States Department of Justice receives thousands of potential whistleblower claims each year, and only those that are reported in a way that triggers their interest are investigated. Call Barrett Law now at (800) 707-9577 if you think you may be a whistleblower.
Experienced whistleblower lawyer Barrett can provide you with the advice you will need to file a successful qui tam case. Having expert legal advice by your side can mean the difference between receiving your share of a whistleblower reward and losing your career and livelihood. Call us today.
