Whistleblower News

Whistleblower cases are complex, and they often pit laypeople — an everyday worker just trying to do the right thing — against well-heeled, powerful, experienced opponents. Several cases making headlines this year illustrate this scenario: Large railroads, such as Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific and others, face questions about their safety procedures following accidents and hundreds of whistleblower complaints during the past five years. A recently unsealed federal appeals court … [Read more...]

A longstanding but rarely tested corner of whistleblower law flew to the forefront this month in the form of a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. We get into the specifics below, but here’s the underlying lesson: In today’s legal environment, whistleblowers benefit greatly from retaining counsel with a thorough understanding of the law and a solid track record of communicating with the U.S. Department of Justice. Understanding the decision requires a bit of background. We often help … [Read more...]

The California Supreme Court this month ruled that employees who report labor law violations to an employer or agency that already knew about the violation is a protected disclosure under state whistleblower law. The ruling in a case brought by the state’s Labor Commissioner means that whistleblowers who report “already known” violations are subject to anti-retaliation protection. The state’s Labor Code prohibits employers from retaliating against employees for “disclosing information” … [Read more...]

We’ve told you before about the potential for fraud in government programs intended to protect the “Blue Economy” and how the False Claims Act enables whistleblowers to report wasteful spending on federal programs designed to protect the environment.  However, other whistleblower programs besides the FCA can help safeguard the environment, even if the individuals or corporations involved aren’t contracted by the federal government. Blowing the whistle on shipping pollution The … [Read more...]

While the Biden administration, Congress and private insurers argue about proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage and ways to shore up its financial future, another law that’s been in place for more than a century has proven to be the most effective way to reduce fraud in the system. The False Claims Act, which allows whistleblowers, people who’ve witnessed or have information about a fraud upon the federal government who are also known as relators, to sue companies for fraudulent activity. Also: … [Read more...]