According to a recent article in Law360, (behind a paywall), attorney Jeffrey Wertkin intends to plead guilty to charges that he obstructed justice by trying to sell a sealed False Claims Act lawsuit to the defendant named in that case in exchange for a $310,000 “consulting fee.”
The case made headlines earlier this year, when news came to light that Wertkin, who had previously worked for the Justice Department before taking a job at a private firm, was caught in an FBI sting. The United States has alleged that Wertkin took copies of two different qui tam whistleblower lawsuits with him when he left the Justice Department, with the intention of selling them to the companies named as defendants. After being contacted by Wertkin, an employee at one of the companies reached out to the FBI, leading to the sting operation.
This whole sordid incident should make clear—just in case there was any doubt before—that the government takes False Claims Act allegations and lawsuits very seriously and does not look kindly on those who seek to interfere with the government’s investigations.
To learn more about our Whistleblower & Qui Tam practice click here. Our firm is located in Nashville, Tennessee but we represent whistleblowers all around the country.
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