May 30, 2014
A Belgian shipping company that was hit with a $24 million civil penalty has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify whether the federal government can seek statutory penalties against False Claims Act defendants when it hasn't proven that the government suffered actual economic harm.
January 09, 2014
Government contractors and health care companies had hoped the Fourth Circuit would support the elimination of a $24 million statutory penalty in a False Claims Act case with no established damages, but the appeals court's reinstatement of the fine instead leaves defendants wondering when exactly high FCA penalties become too punitive to stand.
December 20, 2013
The Fourth Circuit reinstated a $24 million civil penalty Thursday against a Belgian shipping company accused of submitting thousands of false invoices under its U.S. Department of Defense contracts, reversing a decision that had nixed the statutory penalty on the grounds the government hadn't proven damages.