Every day, the federal government spends enormous amounts of money paying contractors, funding loans, and covering the cost of medical treatment. Regulating each of these transactions carefully is difficult, which invites fraudulent activity.
In an effort to combat fraud, the government provides whistleblowers with monetary awards in exchange for useful information about wrongdoing. A Columbia whistleblower lawyer could evaluate your information, help you pursue legal action, and protect you from retaliation. Get in touch with our law office today to find out more.
The federal government offers multiple programs to encourage members of the public to serve as whistleblowers. In order to provide more incentive than simply doing the right thing, some regulatory agencies offer monetary awards.
This usually involves filing a writ of qui tam. These lawsuits allow whistleblowers to formally request an award for the information they provide to the government. However, giving a tip alone may not be enough.
To qualify for a reward, a whistleblower must provide unique information that has not been previously offered. If someone else has already given the same insight, an award will not be available.
The details provided must lead to a conviction or administrative action. An award is only available if a whistleblower gives information that leads to a successful prosecution.
When these lawsuits are successful, the amount recovered by the whistleblower depends on the outcome of the case against the perpetrator. Generally, the reward is between 10 and 30 percent of the total amount recovered in the prosecution. A whistleblower attorney in Columbia could assist with getting the largest payment available.
Limits apply to who can take advantage of these rewards. Whistleblowers must be adults who are either American citizens or lawful permanent residents. Additionally, some parties are prohibited from taking part.
A person involved in a scheme to defraud the government may not profit from it through a qui tam lawsuit. The same is true for law enforcement officers, who are required to report these actions as part of their job.
It is illegal for an employer to retaliate against someone for blowing the whistle on company fraud or other wrongdoing. In addition to assisting with a qui tam lawsuit, a Columbia lawyer could protect a whistleblower from retaliating actions.
Retaliation can take different forms. While it often involves wrongful termination, there are other ways for a business to retaliate beyond just firing someone from their position. This might include transferring them to a different location, reducing their pay, demoting them, or harassing them due to their cooperation with the government.
There are remedies available in these situations. When a person faces retaliation, they have the right to file a lawsuit in federal court. Following a wrongful termination, an employee could be entitled to back pay. They might also require their employer to return benefits or allow them to regain their prior rank or position.
Before you submit information regarding fraudulent activity for a financial award, consider securing assistance from a legal professional. Our team of hardworking Columbia whistleblower lawyers could help file your claim and protect you from retaliation.
Call today for more information on how our legal team could help with your case.