The False Claims Act has proven to be one of the most lucrative civil enforcement tools for the U.S. Department of Justice, generating billions of dollars annually in recovery for the federal government. Justice Department officials regularly tout the long reach of the FCA—a law that one top DOJ lawyer once described as “quite simply, the most powerful tool that we have to deter and redress fraud.”
But some lawyers see a downside. Critics argue that the law is ineffective in preventing fraud, and have begun advocating for reforms. In the push for change, one voice is standing out, and ironically it’s that of a lawyer who was recently a top DOJ official.
