The False Claims Act (FCA) today bears little resemblance to the law President Lincoln signed 154 years ago to stop con artists like those who sold the U.S. Army gun powder barrels filled with saw dust or boots with cardboard soles.
Today, companies and individuals in all sectors of the economy who do business with the government, or participate even remotely in government programs, face a growing common threat: the risk that a whistleblower will label them a modern day huckster for failing to comply with some regulation, triggering a costly and lengthy government investigation, and potentially a lawsuit for treble damages and substantial financial penalties.
