DOJ to Scrutinize False Claims Act Investigations and Lawsuits for Criminal Conduct

The Department of Justice’s (“DOJ“) Criminal Division announced, through its Assistant Attorney General, Leslie R. Caldwell, that the DOJ is closely scrutinizing civil False Claims Act investigations and lawsuits for criminal conduct. Speaking at the Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund’s annual conference in Washington D.C., Ms. Caldwell asked attorneys contemplating filing qui tam lawsuits to reach out to criminal authorities, just as they would reach out to the civil counterparts in the DOJ and U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Ms. Caldwell emphasized that there are resources available to the DOJ’s Criminal Division that aren’t available to other agencies, such as search warrants, wiretaps, consensual recordings, undercover operations, confidential informants, and legal assistance requests to foreign governments for evidence in other countries.

The DOJ’s practice of combing through civil False Claims Act cases in the healthcare arena is not new. However, through this announcement, the DOJ clearly intends to expedite and streamline its internal referral process and the examination of cases for criminal conduct. Ms. Caldwell explained that “experienced prosecutors in the Fraud Section are immediately reviewing the qui tam cases” upon arrival to determine whether to pursue criminal charges.

In summary, those facing civil exposure under the False Claims Act should be aware that the DOJ may be using a fine-tooth comb to sift through the qui tam complaint for criminal conduct. If the DOJ finds criminal conduct, the negotiations will likely shift from avoiding or reducing fines to avoiding criminal charges. Therefore, the DOJ may use the threat of criminal charges as leverage to negotiate larger fines.

If you have any questions about any of the topics discussed in this article, please contact Adrienne Dresevic at adresevic@thehlp.com or (248) 996-8510.

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