Page "Whistleblower" Paragraph 22

Those who report a false claim against the federal government, and suffer adverse employment actions as a result, may have up to six years ( depending on state law ) to file a civil suit for remedies under the US False Claims Act ( FCA ).

Under a qui tam provision, the " original source " for the report may be entitled to a percentage of what the government recovers from the offenders.

However, the " original source " must also be the first to file a federal civil complaint for recovery of the federal funds fraudulently obtained, and must avoid publicizing the claim of fraud until the US Justice Department decides whether to prosecute the claim itself.

Such qui tam lawsuits must be filed under seal, using special procedures to keep the claim from becoming public until the federal government makes its decision on direct prosecution.