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Civil False Caims Act Qui Tam Statistics

  • Writer: R.D. Lieberman,Consultant
    R.D. Lieberman,Consultant
  • Apr 20, 2020
  • 1 min read

The Federal Government in Fiscal Year 2019 recovered more than $3 billion in Civil False Claims Act settlements and judgments. This included $844 million in non-Qui Tam amounts and $2.2 billion in Qui Tam amounts. The relator’s share in FY 2019 amounted to $272 million.

Note: The False Claims Act Amendments of 1986 provide civil liability for federal government contractors that have defrauded government programs. This law includes a Qui Tam provision that permits whistleblowers (called "relators" under the law—including those employed by the contractor who defrauded the government), to file lawsuits on behalf of the government. Whistleblowers may receive a portion of the recoveries, generally 15-30 per cent, depending on certain factors in the litigation. (Qui tam is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur which means "he who brings a case on behalf of our lord the King, as well as for himself").

The following table shows Qui Tam Settlements and Judgments by Federal agency since the law was strengthened in 1986.

Qui Tam Settlements and Judgments ($Billions)

FY 1987-2019 Relator Share Awards

Health and Human Services 34.0 5.7

Department of Defense 3.5 0.6

Non-HHS or DOD 7.3 1.1

All Federal Agencies 44.7 7.4 (17%)

Memo: FY 2019 All agencies

(included in the above) (2.2) (0.3)

Takeaway. The numbers in the recoveries are very large. The Civil False Claims Act is generally said to be the federal Government's primary litigation tool in combating fraud against the Government.

For other helpful suggestions on government contracting, visit:

Richard D. Lieberman’s FAR Consulting & Training at https://www.richarddlieberman.com/, and Mistakes in Government Contracting at https://richarddlieberman.wixsite.com/mistakes.

 
 
 

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The website of Richard Donald Lieberman, a government contracts consultant and retired attorney who is the author of both "The 100 Worst Mistakes in Government Contracting" (with Jason Morgan) and "The 100 Worst Government Mistakes in Government Contracting." Richard Lieberman concentrates on Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) consulting and training, including  commercial item contracting (FAR Part 12), compliance with proposal requirements (FAR Part 15 negotiated procurement), sealed bidding (FAR Part 14), compliance with solicitation requirements, contract administration (FAR Part 42), contract modifications and changes (FAR Part 43), subcontracting and flowdown requirements (FAR Part 44), government property (FAR Part 45), quality assurance (FAR Part 46), obtaining invoiced payments owed to contractors,  and other compliance with the FAR. Mr.Lieberman is also involved in numerous community service activities.  See LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-d-lieberman-3a25257a/.This website and blog are for educational and information purposes only.  Nothing posted on this website constitutes legal advice, which can only be obtained from a qualified attorney. Website Owner/Consultant does not engage in the practice of law and will not provide legal advice or legal services based on competence and standing in the law. Legal filings and other aspects of a legal practice must be performed by an appropriate attorney. Using this website does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Although the author strives to present accurate information, the information provided on this site is not guaranteed to be complete, correct or up-to-date.  The views expressed on this blog are solely those of the author. FAR Consulting & Training, Bethesda, Maryland, Tel. 202-520-5780, rliebermanconsultant@gmail.com

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