When it comes to whistleblowing, many people have their own reasons for reporting wrongdoing to the government. Some people do it out of a sense of responsibility, while others want justice for those who would take advantage. That said, many whistleblowers are drawn to the financial rewards that can result from these claims.
You are under no strict obligation to report wrongdoing like mortgage fraud to the government. For that reason, various federal and state authorities provide incentives to push the public to report suspicious activity that could involve defrauding the government. Talk to a trustworthy whistleblower attorney for help in understanding Charleston whistleblowing incentives.
There are different federal agencies that offer ordinary citizens the power to pursue an award while enforcing federal laws. When citizens provide the government with information on wrongdoing that could impact its operations, the whistleblower could be entitled to recover a percentage of anything the government saves due to their efforts. There are different options for whistleblowing, including:
By making a report and filing a claim, a whistleblower might be able to recover an award based on any money they save the government. In order to recover these incentives, the allegations made by the whistleblower must be substantiated.
In addition to the rewards offered by the federal government, there are also incentives provided by the state as well. These incentives could be used regarding fraud that targets state, federal, or local governments. However, these incentives are generally far less than what is available from the federal government.
In Charleston, state whistleblower incentives are governed by South Carolina Code § 8-27-20B. Under the statute, the state government will provide incentives based on the lesser of two options. Either the award is 25 percent of the money the state saves due to the whistleblower, or the award is a flat fee of $2,000. In other words, the most a whistleblower could possibly recover is $2,000 but that amount could go down based on the savings made by the state.
In order for a citizen in Charleston to obtain the reward for whistleblowing under the False Claims Act, they must pursue a legal action known as the writ of Qui Tam. This process begins with filing a claim with the United States District Court in their area.
There are some limits on who can serve as a whistleblower. A whistleblower must be a member of the public who does not otherwise have a duty to report the wrongdoing that they have witnessed. That means that regulators and law enforcement officers may not serve as whistleblowers, given that their job requires reporting this behavior.
There are also requirements regarding the information provided to the government. The information provided by the whistleblower must be new to the government and this information must lead to a criminal conviction.
There can be significant financial benefits that come with serving as a whistleblower. In addition to serving the common good, reporting acts of fraud or wrongdoing could lead to a financial reward. The good news is that you do not have to navigate the whistleblower process on your own. Let an experienced attorney review your case and advise you on the best path forward. Call now to learn more about what steps you need to take.
