The government relies on whistleblowers to reveal dishonest or illegal business practices. A whistleblower is someone within a company or organization who brings forward inside information to expose fraud. Fraud occurs when companies are dishonest or conceal information to maximize profits at the expense of taxpayers and the government.
If you have relevant information about fraudulent practices taking place in your company and are ready to blow the whistle, you can contact our Washington D.C. whistleblower attorneys for a free and confidential case evaluation.
Washington D.C. Whistleblower Attorney Case Types
Employees can bring forward qui tam lawsuits against their companies that are involved in fraudulent activities. Fraud in Washington D.C. can happen across different types of industries and sectors. Do not assume that any entity is immune. Our D.C. whistleblower attorneys commonly litigate the following types of fraud:
Healthcare fraud: Sometimes healthcare providers dishonestly charge for services to government-funded insurance groups like Medicare and Medicaid in order to increase their profits. If you have knowledge of healthcare fraud, waste, or abuse in health benefit programs, you should consider blowing the whistle with help from a Washington D.C. healthcare fraud lawyer.
Learn More: Washington D.C. Healthcare Fraud FAQs
- Government contracts fraud: When providing services to the government, companies may charge the government more for their services than they charge other customers. You may want to report illegal activities like bid-rigging, under-bidding, improper cost allocations, or other fraudulent practices happening in the D.C. area.
Learn More: Washington D.C. Government Contracts Fraud FAQs
- Tax fraud: No one likes to pay taxes, but making false statements on tax returns is a serious offense in Washington D.C. If a company is trying to evade taxes by falsifying data, whistleblowers should come forward with the information.
Learn More: Washington D.C. Tax Fraud FAQs
- Commodities fraud: You should strongly consider reporting violations of the Commodity Exchange Act, which may include fraud schemes involving commodity futures, options, over-the-counter derivatives, and swaps.
Learn More: Washington D.C. Commodities Fraud FAQs
- Securities fraud: The Securities and Exchange Commission provides financial incentives and whistleblower protection to D.C. whistleblowers who report violations of securities laws, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and bribery.
Learn More: Washington D.C. Securities Fraud FAQs
- Bank fraud: D.C. whistleblowers may come forward to report fraud committed by financial institutions, including banks, mortgage companies, or financial service institutions.
Learn More: Washington D.C. Bank Fraud FAQs
- Customs and tariffs fraud: Fraud under this category can look like evasion of tariffs, falsifying the value or quantity of imported products, underpayment of customs duties through false records, or failure to properly mark the imported goods with the country of origin.
Learn More: Washington D.C. Customs and Tariffs Fraud FAQs
- Other government programs fraud: If you want to blow the whistle on fraud committed under a government program, such as government-issued research grants, federally-funded student loans, crop insurance, and other programs, contact a qui tam attorney for guidance.
Learn More: Washington D.C. Other Government Programs Fraud FAQs
When Should I Contact a D.C. Whistleblower Lawyer?
If you suspect your company is involved in any type of fraud involving the misuse or abuse of government/public funding, you should contact a Washington D.C. whistleblower lawyer immediately. If you wait too long to report, you may miss out on a potential monetary award.
D.C. whistleblowers who come forward on time to file a whistleblower lawsuit have the added satisfaction of knowing their bravery and honesty helped save taxpayers’ their hard-earned money.
Washington D.C. Whistleblower Laws
Washington D.C. False Claims Act
The Office of the Attorney General can bring court actions against those who make false claims to the district government so as to claim improper amount of government funds. The D.C. False Claims Act enables the government to recover treble damages from such wrongdoers, along with attorney’s fees and additional civil penalties.
Federal False Claims Act
The False Claims Act protects individuals who expose fraudulent activity. It allows employees and similar insiders to file lawsuits against their companies and organizations on behalf of the United States government. In return, the whistleblower may receive protection from retaliation by an employer as well as a certain percentage of the recovered amount.
If a potential whistleblower is worried about their employer firing them if they come forward to expose fraud, the False Claims Act ensures that they can sue their employer for retaliating against them after they exposed fraud. Their identity is also initially kept confidential during the initial investigation into the alleged fraud, and in some cases, kept confidential throughout the duration of litigation.
Washington D.C. Whistleblower Protection Act
The Whistleblower Protection Act protects federal employee whistleblowers from being fired, demoted, or blacklisted by the federal agencies. Employees who expose their organization’s wrongdoing are also protected from other forms of backlash, including reduced pay or reassignments. Under the law, if they are terminated they may be reinstated, and they may be awarded compensatory damages if their pay was wrongly diminished in any way.
How Can a D.C. Whistleblower Attorney Help Me?
If you are thinking about exposing fraud taking place in your company, you can benefit from working with someone who understands the legal system and your specific type of case.
The lawyers at Tycko & Zavareei LLP specialize in helping whistleblowers throughout every step the legal process and understand the specific laws and protections that may apply in a given case. When you consult with our firm, we will go over the evidence for your claim and determine whether you are eligible to file a whistleblower lawsuit in Washington D.C. Then, if you decide to move forward with your case, we will help you through the investigation and litigation processes.
You have a limited time to act under the federal statute of limitations for whistleblower cases and the longer you wait, the more likely someone else may come forward with the same evidence, making you ineligible for a potential reward. We can go over how the facts of your case might impact this deadline during an initial consultation and help ensure your claim is filed on time. We can also answer any questions you may have.
Our legal team offers experienced legal help to whistleblowers. We help clients all over the country and are proud to be helping clients in the DMV area. Many of our clients’ claims have resulted in multi-million dollar recoveries.
What Evidence Do I Need to File a D.C. Whistleblower Lawsuit?
If you want to come forward with information about wrongdoing taking place in your organization, you should speak to a D.C. whistleblower attorney who can guide you on the specific evidence pertinent to your case. You should note that an admissible claim will require some knowledge on your part about how the fraud has occurred. You should be able to provide some sort of evidence or have some idea that point an investigator toward the right place.
Remember, the False Claims Act requires a whistleblower to pay the defendant’s attorney fees if the court finds a claim of fraud to be “clearly frivolous, clearly vexatious, or brought primarily for purposes of harassment.” While collecting evidence from your company, you must bear in mind that you may only collect proof directly related to your job. This also means you cannot take any materials that do not have any relevance to your specific claim. Since the rules of evidence can be tricky, you should speak to an experienced Washington D.C. whistleblower attorney who can explain what kinds of evidence you would need to file a whistleblower lawsuit.
How to Choose a Washington D.C. Whistleblower Law Firm
If you are a whistleblower with knowledge of a significant case of fraud, you should contact a D.C. whistleblower law firm that specializes in qui tam law. Since whistleblower litigation can be long, expensive and time-consuming, it is important to hire a qui tam law firm with the resources to see your case through. They should also have previous successes representing whistleblowers in qui tam lawsuits, as this area of law can be complex. The more experienced your D.C. whistleblower lawyer is, the better chance they will have of convincing the government to intervene in your case, and therefore maximizing your chance of a successful recovery.
At Tycko and Zavareei LLP, we have a proven track record of success and will pay personal attention to your case. We take a small number of cases, allowing us to devote ourselves fully to each of our clients. Some of our qui tam attorneys have previously worked for the Department of Justice, providing them with unique insight into how the most successful cases work. Our law firm also has the resources to fund necessary expensive litigations.
Whistleblower Lawyer Near Me
Are you looking for a whistleblower lawyer in the D.C. area? You can reach out to us in our office located in the heart of Washington D.C. at 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Our office is in between I ST NW and 20th ST NW. You can find it right next to George Washington University and just a few blocks from the White House.
Washington D.C. Whistleblower Attorney: FAQs
What should I do if I am thinking about blowing the whistle on fraud?
If you are considering blowing the whistle, you should learn about the basics of acting as a D.C. qui tam whistleblower. A Washington D.C. whistleblower attorney can explain the relevant substantive and procedural laws and help you gather the right evidence.
What do I need to prove to prevail in a Washington D.C. whistleblower case?
Depending on the type of fraud, your first step is to find and hire a skilled and experienced D.C. whistleblower lawyer who can guide you through the legal process, including the types of evidence you need to proceed. At Tycko and Zavareei LLP, we will look for specific violations of the False Claims Act and similar whistleblower laws during the initial stages to check whether you qualify.
If I win my D.C. qui tam case, what type of whistleblower reward am I entitled to?
Remember, every whistleblower lawsuit is different. Typically, when you file a qui tam lawsuit, you can receive a payout percentage between 15 and 30 percent of the total funds recovered. This percentage can represent a substantial amount, depending on the facts of the case and the parties involved. The rest of the money goes to the government.
What activities are protected under the Washington D.C. Whistleblower Protection Act?
A Washington D.C. whistleblower is generally protected against 
retaliation or threat of retaliation by the employer. Public sector employees can disclose information not specifically prohibited by the law. This includes information about activities such as gross mismanagement, gross misuse or waste of public funds, violation of applicable law or contractual terms between the district government and its contractor, abuse of authority for administering a public program or public contract, as well as substantial danger to public health, safety or the environment.
What is the Washington D.C. False Claims Act?
The D.C. False Claims Act makes it illegal to present false or fraudulent claims to the District as well as avoid obligations to pay the District. It imposes treble damages to those who violate the law, and it rewards whistleblowers who help expose local fraud 15 to 30% of the total amount recovered.
Does the D.C. False Claims Act protect against whistleblower retaliation?
Yes, the Washington D.C. False Claims Act has an anti-retaliation provision that protects employees against retaliation by their employers, such as termination for exposing the fraud.
What responsibilities do district supervisors, agencies, and employees have under the Whistleblower Protection Act?
District supervisors, agencies and employees are obligated to disclose fraudulent wrongdoing as soon as they are aware of the same. A supervisor may be subject to disciplinary action for failing to report an illegal activity. An agency is mandated to undertake disciplinary proceedings if a supervisor engages in retaliation against a whistleblower employee.
What should I do if I am experiencing whistleblower retaliation?
If you are experiencing whistleblower retaliation, you should keep detailed records of your employer’s actions (such as any relevant emails, chat messages, etc.) and contact a Washington D.C. whistleblower attorney immediately.
What should I do if I cannot afford a D.C. whistleblower attorney?
If you plan to come forward with information about fraud taking place at your company, you might be understandably worried about legal fees. At Tycko & Zavareei LLP, we operate on a contingency fee basis. This means we will provide the legal advice you need to make an informed decision and help you to file a whistleblower claim, but we will only get paid if you actually win your case. This payment structure allows you to seek legal assistance risk-free.
Can D.C. whistleblowers remain anonymous?
Qui tam complaints are sealed, which means the identities of D.C. whistleblowers are protected. The organization accused of fraud is not alerted until the government has reviewed the whistleblower claims, which can take months or even years. In some instances, whistleblowers may remain anonymous throughout litigation.
Talk to an Experienced Washington D.C. Whistleblower Lawyer
If you have information about ongoing fraud, you may be uncertain about your next move. At Tycko & Zavareei LLP, we understand that any potential whistleblower case is complex and challenging. We want to help you through any legal challenges so that you can effectively expose the fraudulent actions of your company.
You can set up a free and confidential case evaluation with our Washington D.C. whistleblower attorneys today. We are ready to answer your questions and help you take action by filing a whistleblower lawsuit on your behalf.
