Whistleblower Network News

On October 22, the DOJ announced that Veni-Express, a mobile phlebotomy lab, and its owners agreed to pay at least $135,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations. The settlement stems from two qui tam suits filed by whistleblowers.

This year, Ukraine has started paying out whistleblowers awards as it seeks to increase its anti-corruption efforts during its war with Russia. “In a transparent democratic world, in particular in the USA, paying a reward to a whistleblower is the norm and encourages citizens to be responsible,” Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) stated. “Unlike the USA, our country is just forming a culture of disclosure, and therefore it is critically important to popularize it in Ukraine. After all, to expose means to show awareness, care and integrity towards fellow citizens.”

On October 2, a significant milestone was reached when CFTC announced its first enforcement action against fraud in the Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs). The agency has called upon whistleblowers to report carbon credit fraud.

Following an anonymous whistleblower complaint, the SEC has reportedly launched a probe investigating whether Freeport-McMoRan Inc. failed to disclose the risk a potential earthquake poses to its new $3.7 billion copper smelter complex in Indonesia.

In recent weeks, a number of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country have rolled out Non-Prosecution Whistleblower Pilot Programs. These different programs could cause confusion and pose risks to whistleblowers according to a whistleblower attorney.

With the independence of the news media falling under the influence of self-serving billionaires, the role of whistleblowers in exposing and defending the truth becomes more important and more difficult than ever. The controlling influence of billionaire owners alters far more than just the endorsement of candidates. It signals to would-be whistleblowers that the partnership they have relied upon in the past to speak truth to power is eroding. The value of truth must be maintained, especially when the independence of the media has rightfully been called into question.

On October 23, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) awarded $150,000 to an international whistleblower who disclosed information about significant issues at an early-stage firm, leading to a successful enforcement action by the OSC. “This case highlights the global reach of the OSC Whistleblower Program, which attracts tips from beyond our borders and pays awards to individuals from anywhere in the world,” said André Moniz, Manager of the OSC Office of the Whistleblower. “The Program is a valuable tool in the OSC’s enforcement toolkit, as whistleblowers are a valuable source of information. Whistleblowers can provide an ‘early warning’ when it comes to alerting the OSC about suspected misconduct.”

In August, the DOJ launched its Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program. So far, the program has received over 200 whistleblower tips according to a DOJ official. “First, whistleblowing. We know it works. Whistleblower reports to the government lead to prosecutions and civil enforcement actions. Internal reports help companies address misconduct before it gets out of hand," said Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Marshall Miller.

Matthew Decker, the former chief information officer for Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory, is set to receive $250,000 as his share of a False Claims Act settlement stemming from his qui tam whistleblower suit. The DOJ alleges that Penn State violated the FCA “by failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements in fifteen contracts or subcontracts involving the Department of Defense or National Aeronautics and Space Administration.”

On October 10, Senator Grassley sent a letter to the DOJ and FBI urging the two agencies to take immediate action to remedy their alleged longstanding culture of workplace sexual harassment and historic negligence in investigating child exploitation cases.