Whistleblower Articles
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Psychic Investing
May 20
Posted by: David Fischer | Number of Comments: Be the first to Comment
Category: Whistleblower Articles, Whistleblower News, Whistleblowers Blog, Whistleblowing | Date Posted: Monday, May 20th, 2013
This post was written by our own Justin Victor.
Last month the SEC announced that it had filed a civil action against Sean Morton, an individual who engaged in a multi-million dollar investment scheme premised on Mr. Morton’s self-proclaimed psychic abilities. Mr. Morton solicited potential investors in one of his several investment companies claiming that he would be able to use his psychic powers to provide investment guidance to his investing team, touting fictitious success in predicting previous rises and falls in the stock market. …
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If You Cannot Change Label, Change The Guidelines
May 17
Posted by: David Fischer | Number of Comments: Be the first to Comment
Category: Federal False Claims Acts, Whistleblower Articles, Whistleblower News, Whistleblowers Blog | Date Posted: Friday, May 17th, 2013
The Washington Post has a lengthy article in today’s paper regarding the extensive financial ties and conflicts of interest between the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the publisher of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), and the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical companies have given substantial sums of money to the publisher as well as the doctors who serve on the committees that draft the DSM guidelines. Not surprisingly, the new DSM has numerous changes that benefit the pharmaceutical companies…
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Off-Label Marketing After The Settlement
May 6
Posted by: David Fischer | Number of Comments: Be the first to Comment
Category: Federal False Claims Acts, Whistleblower Articles, Whistleblowers Blog, Whistleblowing | Date Posted: Monday, May 6th, 2013
The Los Angeles Times recently reported that off-label uses of modafinil has continued to rise a very rapid rate. Following up on a report in JAMA Internal Medicine, the LA Times reports:
… a group of researchers has shown that use of modafinil grew almost ten-fold between 2002 and 2009, with the steepest rise in uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.[The reseach summarized in JAMA Internal Medicine] found that over the years studied almost 90% of patients who were prescribed the medication did not have a diagnosis for …
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Foreign Whistleblowers Hold Multi-Nationals Accountable and Get Rewarded For Their Efforts
May 6
Posted by: David Fischer | Number of Comments: Be the first to Comment
Category: Whistleblower Articles, Whistleblower News, Whistleblowers Blog, Whistleblowing | Date Posted: Monday, May 6th, 2013
This post was written by our own Justin Victor.
HELP WANTED! The United States government is seeking the help of individuals who have information about multi-national companies that pay bribes to foreign officials to get business, or cheat the United States out of taxes or the benefit of bargained for products or services. Those interested need not be citizens of the United States or reside in the United States to apply.
Though an ad like this sounds farfetched, the United States is effectively do this. As the United States struggles w… -
Antitrust Whistleblower Protections
Feb 14
Posted by: David Fischer | Number of Comments: Comments Off
Category: Federal False Claims Acts, Whistleblower Articles, Whistleblower News, Whistleblowers Blog, Whistleblowing | Date Posted: Thursday, February 14th, 2013
Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) recently reintroduced legislation that would provide, if passed, protection to whislteblowers who provide information to federal prosecutors in criminal antitrust investigations. The proposed Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act of 2013 (pdf file) would permit an employee to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor about suspected retaliation for cooperating with the Department of Justice. As stated by Sen. Leahy:
It would prohibit an employer from retaliating against … -
AEI Presents Study on the Effects of Anti-Industry Bias
Jun 28
Posted by: Cameron Sharp | Number of Comments: Comments Off
Category: Whistleblower Articles | Date Posted: Thursday, June 28th, 2012
Last Thursday, June 21, 2012, the American Enterprise Institute held a panel, entitled “Muzzle pharma, harm patients: The dangers of anti-industry bias.” Sitting on the panel were George Chressanthis, a professor at Temple University, Nitin Jain, a principal at ZS Associates headquarters, Thomas Stossel, a hematologist and oncologist, and J.D. Kleinke, a health care business expert. The panel presented a new study which aimed at determining the relationship between physicians’ choices of drugs and their access to sales representatives from …
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Blowing the Whistle From Abroad: A Guide to the U.S. False Claims Act and U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
Jan 12
Posted by: Staff | Number of Comments: Comments Off
Category: Whistleblower Articles | Date Posted: Thursday, January 12th, 2012
By Jay W. Eisenhofer, Reuben A. Guttman and Justin K. VictorThe United States Government has established laws providing for bounties to be paid to those who report certain types of fraud. Even foreign citizens are eligible to receive these monetary awards, which are paid under the False Claims Act (“Federal False Claims Act” or “FCA”) and through the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. While the False Claims Act provides for redress against those entities or individuals that cheat the United States Government or i…
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Why Fighting Government Contract Fraud Makes a Difference
Oct 13
Posted by: Reuben Guttman | Number of Comments: Comments Off
Category: Whistleblower Articles | Date Posted: Thursday, October 13th, 2011
As the fate of a government shutdown last week was teetering over budget cuts of between $20-$40 billion, I could not help remind myself that only last year the Deputy Attorney General of the United States estimated that Medicare-Medicaid fraud alone costs the government up to $60 billion.
Of course, this figure does not even account for precious healthcare dollars spent to treat injuries caused by misbranded drugs and defective medical devices. Taking into account over-billing by defense contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, the for profit c…
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The Schindler Decision: Now It’s Congress’ Turn
Oct 13
Posted by: Reuben Guttman | Number of Comments: Comments Off
Category: Whistleblower Articles | Date Posted: Thursday, October 13th, 2011
With the heightened pleading standard established by the Supreme Court in Twombly and Iqbal, it must follow that Plaintiffs are entitled to some accommodation in the manner and methods used to muster the facts now required to properly plead a case. Apparently this is not so.
In issuing its 5-3 decision (Justice Kagan did not take part in the decision) in Schindler Elevator Corp. v United States, No. 10-188 (May 16, 2011), the Court held that a whistleblower litigating under the Federal False Claims Act (FCA) does not have standing if his or …
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Medicare Decides It Takes a Thief to Catch a Thief
Oct 13
Posted by: Reuben Guttman | Number of Comments: Comments Off
Category: Whistleblower Articles | Date Posted: Thursday, October 13th, 2011
With Medicare fraud costing the federal government an estimated $60 billion a year, it makes perfect sense that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has tapped aerospace innovator Northrop Grumman to create a predictive model that will detect fraud. Or does it?
With all the great technology and healthcare companies out there, Northrop Grumman may not be the obvious choice, but in some ways it is perfect for this role. After all, Northrop is one of the worst perpetrators of fraud against the U.S. government. While some could see this …