Law Commons^™

Blowing The Whistle Louder, Richard C. Reuben

Faculty Publications

Amid the continuing national debate over deficit reduction, a case before the U.S. Supreme Court has multibillion-dollar ramifications in fraud recoveries for the federal government. At issue in Hughes Aircraft Co. v. United States ex rel. Schumer, No. 95-1340, is the reach of the U.S. False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729, et seq., which permits private parties to bring whistleblower lawsuits - also called "qui tam" actions - against companies that allegedly are defrauding the government. But they can only bring such actions if the information they present about alleged fraud has not already been "publicly disclosed." The lower …