by Ben Vernia | March 2nd, 2013
On March 2, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed “an Act to prevent and punish Frauds upon the Government of the United States” – now known as the False Claims Act – into law.
Amended several times in the 150 years since its enactment, the key insights of the False Claims Act – multiple damages, and empowering whistleblowers to bring suit against wrongdoers – have stood the test of time like few laws. Whether measured in terms of dollars returned to the government, or in terms of the breadth of cases brought, the FCA is perhaps even more vital a resource for the federal governments (and not most states) to deter, detect, and punish schemes to defraud the treasury.
Happy Birthday, FCA!
