Frequently Asked Questions To Whistleblower Laws

The False Claims Act has one of the strongest whistleblower protection provisions in the United States. However, it has many complicated components and requirements, which can harm any person that pursues such a claim without counsel.

The Dodd Frank Act known formally as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, was signed into law July 21, 2010 and is a major piece of reform legislation covering commodities and securities actions worldwide. The Act is meant primarily to promote financial stability by improving accountability and transparency in the financial system.

The Internal Revenue Act permits individuals who provide original information to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) about violation of the tax laws or the underpayment of taxes to obtain a monetary regard, if their information results in a sanction against the tax law violator.

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) targets bribery of foreign government officials by publicly traded corporations or U.S. persons. It is the most powerful and effective transnational anti-corruption law in the world.

One of the most important and effective tools to uncover and prevent marine pollution is the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). Violations of APPS include discharges above the permitted level of oil and oily water; noxious liquid substances; garbage; and emissions of certain air pollutants. APPS includes a key whistleblower provision which permits […]

Commodity Exchange Act is a federal act passed in 1936 by the U.S. Government. The Act provides federal regulation of all commodities and futures trading activities and requires all futures and commodity options to be traded on organized exchanges.

Whistleblowers worldwide can qualify for monetary rewards when reporting wildlife trafficking, illegal logging, illegal poaching, and illegal fishing when the information results in a successful enforcement action.

This type of fraud means a medical provider – doctor, dentist, hospital, hospice care provider or nursing home – makes a fraudulent reimbursement claim. The most common types of Medicare or Medicaid fraud include: billing for unnecessary procedures or procedures that are never performed; for unnecessary medical tests or tests never performed; or for unnecessary […]

State courts were the first body of government to step up and start protecting whistleblowers. It is recommended to look at the individual state laws for whistleblower protection programs.

In 2002, Congress passed the historic Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which protects employees of publicly traded companies who report violations of Securities and Exchange Commission regulations or any provision of federal law relating to fraud against the shareholders.

Seven major federal environmental laws (Clean Air, Toxic Substances, Clean Water, Atomic Energy, Solid Waste, Safe Drinking Water, and Superfund) have special provisions protecting corporate whistleblowers.

Whistleblowers in the nuclear power and nuclear weapons industries are specifically protected under section 211 of the Energy Reorganization Act.

FOIA allows the public better access to government records. With these records, the public can find out what the government knows about them and what types of policies agencies use to govern the public.

The first step in reviewing a whistleblower claim is to determine what statutes or common law actions may provide a remedy. A case may be covered under more than one whistleblower protection provision.

A qualified licensed attorney can apply to the Whistleblower Attorney Directory.

Learn how to obtain Legal Assistance from the National Whistleblower Legal Defense and Education Fund (NWLDE).