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Answer Center
How can I be sure that the “public disclosure and
original source” laws do not bar my False Claims Act case?
The answer to this is be very careful and obtain
qualified legal counsel early on in your process of determining
whether to bring a qui tam action. Knowledgeable lawyers must
carefully analyze the public disclosure law applicable in the
federal courts in which a case is to be filed should there be any
possibility that this jurisdictional bar could be later raised
effectively. (See "What steps should be
taken to prevent the “public disclosure” rules from thwarting a
valid claim under the False Claims Act")
The public disclosure and original source bar has been interpreted
by the courts to prohibit cases never intended by Congress to be
affected by these "anti-parasite" provisions. Until the Congress
amends the statute or the United State Supreme Court better
interprets this area of the law, the public disclosure/original
source rules will continue to cause good cases to be thrown out of
court. In these circumstances, while the Government can prosecute
the wrongdoers, if the Department of Justice so decides, the
relator cannot.
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