Whistleblowers

Senator introduces bill to make it easier for employees to report waste and fraud in government contracting

October 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the federal government spending $530 billion on contracts in 2008 alone, people who blow the whistle when they see waste or fraud are more important than ever. Yet, most employees of government contractors currently don’t have adequate whistleblower protections to safeguard them from retaliation.

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill plans to change that in order to encourage more people to step forward and report fraud, waste and abuse by introducing legislation to extend ground breaking whistleblower protections to all government contractors.    » read more »

Drug Company Allegedly Failed to Pay Hundreds of Millions in Rebates to Medicaid Program

May 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – The United States and 16 states have joined in two whistleblower suits filed in the District of Massachusetts against the drug manufacturer, Wyeth, alleging that the company knowingly failed to give the government the same discounts it provided to private purchasers of its drugs, as required by laws governing the Medicaid program.

As a result, Wyeth allegedly avoided paying hundreds of millions in rebates due to state Medicaid programs for its drugs, Protonix Oral and Protonix IV. These drugs belong to a class of drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPI), which are used to suppress stomach acid.    » read more »

Urges Obama to Fulfill Campaign Promise; Congressional Testimony by Advocacy Director Underscores Urgent Need for Accountability and Transparency

May 14, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Federal employees and contractors are in a unique position to contribute valuable information and save taxpayers huge sums of money, Angela Canterbury, director of advocacy for Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division, told lawmakers today. At a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Canterbury testified in support of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2009 (H.R. 1507), to restore and modernize the law that protects federal whistleblowers.    » read more »

Launches Whistleblower.Illinois.gov to crack down on corruption

CHICAGO – April 15, 2009 -- Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is urging government employees and taxpayers to demand integrity and honesty in state government by blowing the whistle on corruption. To advance this effort, Governor Quinn is launching Whistleblower.Illinois.gov, an interactive website that allows watchdogs to easily report suspected government corruption.    » read more »

Nineteen States and Puerto Rico Urge The U.S. Supreme Court To Protect Employees From Retaliation

April 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann and the attorneys general of 18 other states and Puerto Rico, today asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that employers cannot retaliate against an employee involved in an employer’s investigation of sexual harassment.

The amicus, or “friend of the court,” filing supports a woman who was fired after participating in a company investigation of sexual harassment.

The case, Crawford v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, addresses whether an employer may fire or demote an employee for participating in an employer’s internal investigation of discrimination.    » read more »

Congress encouraged to include federal scientists in whistleblower bill

March 18, 2008 -- WASHINGTON (March 18, 2008) – Four dozen groups spanning the political spectrum today sent a letter to the Senate urging lawmakers to include federal scientists in pending legislation designed to protect whistleblowers. The coalition of academic, consumer, environmental, government reform and health groups -- which includes the Consumer Federation of America, Common Cause, Federation of American Scientists, Liberty Coalition and Rutherford Institute -- was organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).    » read more »

MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2008, WASHINGTON - Acculab Laboratories and its president/owner, Joseph T. DeGregorio, have agreed to pay the United States $461,000 to settle allegations that Acculab submitted false claims to Medicare, the Justice Department announced today. The settlement resolves allegations that the Sarasota, Fla.-based company, at the direction of DeGregorio, submitted claims to Medicare for laboratory services that were not ordered, were not provided, were not medically necessary or were improperly unbundled.    » read more »

The bipartisan bill includes whistle-blower protections, provided for more resources, and granted the agency's inspector general more authority.

WASHINGTON (October 30, 2007) - Spurred by the recalls of millions of unsafe toys this summer, the Senate Commerce Committee today approved bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) that substantially improves the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), giving it more resources and staff.    » read more »

McCaskill provisions aim to protect consumers while restoring accountability at the Consumer Product Safety Commission

October 30, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – After the White House publicly opposed Senate efforts to ensure whistleblower protections for employees who report consumer product hazards to the government, the Senate Commerce Committee today unanimously accepted a provision offered by U.S.    » read more »

August 24, 2007 -- Jefferson City, Mo. — Missourians who blow the whistle on Medicaid fraud by healthcare providers soon may be eligible for a portion of any money recovered by the state, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon said. Under a new law that takes effect Aug. 28, any person who is the original source of information used by the Attorney General to recover money for the state may receive 10 percent of the state’s recovery.    » read more »

Joan Claybrook Delivers Keynote Address for "Washington Whistleblower Week" Highlighting Importance of Whistleblowers to a Healthy Democracy

May 14, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C.    » read more »