December 02, 2013
WASHINGTON, DC – Colette Matzzie, a partner at Phillips & Cohen, was featured on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” today to discuss the 150thanniversary of the False Claims Act and the impact the law has had. In 1863, Congress enacted the statute, also known as “Lincoln’s Law,” to create incentives for private citizens to help stop fraud against the Union Army and give the government an effective remedy against fraud.
Matzzie responded to telephone calls and tweets from viewers with questions about the whistleblower law and concerns they have about their individual situations.
Since Congress strengthened the False Claims Act in 1986 with bipartisan support, whistleblowers have helped the government recover more than $50 billion in civil settlements and criminal fines from companies that have defrauded the government.
Matzzie also discussed some of Phillips & Cohen’s record-setting whistleblower cases, including the nation’s two largest healthcare fraud settlements. Phillips & Cohen qui tam lawsuits were the basis for the bulk of the settlements paid by – GlaxoSmithKline ($3 billion) and Pfizer Inc. ($2.3 billion).