Government contractors perform a variety of jobs for the federal government. From the Department of Defense, to the State Department, to the Treasury, to the IRS, almost every part of the government relies on the goods and services of contractors.
Unfortunately, theft and fraud in these industries are common. The False Claims Act prohibits any intentional act that results in the payment of money to a party that does not have a proper right to collect. At the same time, the law incentivizes individuals to come forward to report these acts, oftentimes for a cash reward. A skilled whistleblower attorney could help you with this process.
Reach out to a South Carolina government contractor fraud lawyer. They can work with you to determine if your report has merit, to submit it to the appropriate agency, demand a reward through Qui Tam, and protect you against potential retaliation.
Every entity that does business with the federal government must follow the applicable rules and regulations. A prominent example that applies to government contractors is the False Claims Act. Encoded in 31 United States Code § 3729, the False Claims Act says that it is illegal for any party to knowingly submit a false claim for benefits or payment against the government.
Furthermore, the government often relies on whistleblowers to learn about these violations. Any person can come forward to the relevant regulatory agency to file a report concerning alleged violations of the False Claims Act. Additionally, parties who take this step are immune from any potential retaliation involved in filing a case or cooperating with a government investigation. A South Carolina government contractor fraud whistleblower attorney could help parties to determine whether to serve as a whistleblower and to submit cases to government agencies.
Government agencies rely on information from whistleblowers to such an extent that they offer cash rewards at the end of many investigations. Most parties who file reports with government agencies may also submit writs of Qui Tam. These writs notify the agency that these parties wish to receive a portion of the funds that the agency may recover as the result of a successful False Claims Act investigation.
However, not every person is eligible to receive these payments. Members of law enforcement can never collect these rewards. Neither can people who have an obligation under the law to report wrongdoing. Finally, a reward is only possible if the initial report contains new information that the government did not already possess.
Even so, a South Carolina government fraud attorney could help parties to demand these payments. According to 31 United States Code § 3730(c)(5), these rewards may range in value from 15 to 25 percent of the funds recovered in the case. Let an attorney take the lead in demanding fair payments after serving as a whistleblower.
The government relies on accurate accounting and fair play from its contractors. However, every day, these contractors may cheat the government despite laws, such as the False Claims Act, that prohibit this activity.
If you believe that fraud has occurred, you can serve as a whistleblower. Doing this makes you immune from any potential retaliation and may even entitle you to a reward. A South Carolina government contractor fraud lawyer can work with you to investigate the incident, form an initial report, submit a writ of Qui Tam, and even protect you against retaliation. Reach out today to get started.
