The New York Times: Glaxo Agrees to Pay $3 Billion in Fraud Settlement
Summary: GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical company, will pay $3 billion to the Justice Department in the largest healthcare fraud settlement in US history. The case, brought under the federal False Claims Act, alleged that the company had been promoting two drugs for unapproved uses and failed to disclose important safety information on another drug. In recent years, the Justice Department has been much more aggressive on fighting healthcare fraud, particularly by pursuing whistleblower qui tam cases.
Related Articles: Associated Press, Los Angeles Times
Workforce: Former United Flight Attendant Files Whistleblower Lawsuit
Summary: A United Airlines flight attendant has filed a whistleblower suit, claiming he was fired for complaining about routine violations of passenger boarding regulations. Allegedly, it was ‘unspoken’ policy at United to falsify reports to avoid overlap between when arriving passengers left the plane and when departing passengers boarded.
San Francisco Examiner: Supes Allege Whistleblower Documents Show CPMC Lied about Financials
Summary: A California health company is under fire after a whistleblower exposed documents showing the company would be able to close a new hospital as early as 2020, despite its promises of the opposite.
New Vision (Uganda): Corruption – KCCA to Reward Whistleblower
Summary: The Kampala Capital City Authority in Kampala, Uganda has instituted a whistleblower reward program that will financially incentivize workers to report fraud and corruption. Under the new program, a whistleblower would be entitled to 10 percent of recovered funds.
Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN): Whistleblower Wins $30K in Trucking Company Settlement
Summary: A truck driver from Knoxville, Tennessee was fired after he refused to drive a truck with faulty equipment. He filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and won more than $30,000 in the resulting settlement.
The Poultry Site: OSHA-Pilgrims Pride Settle Whistleblower Case
Summary: Chicken processor Pilgrim's Pride fired an employee who blew the whistle on the plant's violations of environmental regulations. After a Department of Labor investigation, the company has agreed to pay the individual $50,000 and must post a notice letting employees know their whistleblower rights.
Hannah Johnson is Communications Associate for the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower protection and advocacy organization.
