False Claims Act Whistleblower Must Be Original Source of Information
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Rockwell International Corp. v. United States, 549 U.S. 457 (2007) (0 other reports)
Author: Ben K. Wooded
In Rockwell International Corp. v. United States, +549 U.S. 457 (2007), the US Supreme Court addressed whether a former employee whistleblower of a government contractor was an original source of information. If the former employee was the original source, then the federal trial court would have authority to decide the whistleblower's claims against his former employer.
The False Claims Act provides that the federal government, or a private citizen acting on the government's behalf, may bring a lawsuit to recover for a false or fraudulent payment claim to the United States. +31 USCS § 3730. However, if the lawsuit is brought by an individual and based on publicly-disclosed information, the federal court lacks authority to decide the claims unless the individual is an original source of the information.
