This site provides information about False Claims Act qui tam statutes that allow whistleblowers to step into the shoes of the government and seek damages on behalf of the government. These False Claims Acts or “qui tam laws” exist at the federal level and have been adopted by 29 states, the District of Columbia, the city of New York, and the city of Chicago. As the Supreme Court of the United States noted in Rockwell International Corp. v. United States, 127 S.Ct. 1397 (2007), “Qui tam is short for ‘qui tam pro omino regequam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur,’ which means ‘who pursues this action on our Lord the King’s behalf as well as his own.’” An individual who successfully pursues a qui tam action is entitled to a bounty that ranges from between 15% to 30% of the government’s recovery.
In its simplest form, a qui tam lawsuit is brought by a citizen, known as a “relator” or whistleblower, against a company, person or entity, that he or she knows is cheating the federal or a state government in some way. Since the qui tam suit is brought in the name of the relator on behalf of the government, the government may actually join the case and litigate alongside the relator’s lawyers. Through this web site you can educate yourself on the process, the law, your rights and protection and contact a lawyer who can help advise you. You can also learn about other laws including those administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that allow whistleblowers to seek redress on behalf of the government.