Any employee, contractor, or agent shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make that employee, contractor, or agent whole, if that employee, contractor, or agent [who] is discharged, demoted, suspended, threatened, harassed, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment [by his or her employer] because of lawful acts done by the employee, contractor, or agent on behalf of the employee, contractor, or agent or associated others in furtherance of other efforts to stop 1 or more violations of this subchapter [an action under this section, including investigation for, initiation of, testimony for, or assistance in action filed or to be filed under this section, shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make the employee whole.
If a court finds an individual has been the victim of retaliation in violation of section 3730(h), it may order the defendant to pay the individual’s attorneys’ fees, litigation costs, and twice the amount of “back pay, interest on back pay, and compensation for special damages sustained as a consequence” of the retaliation, 31 U.S.C. 3730(h)(2).