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Taxpayers Against Fraud
2008 Award Winners
Lifetime
Achievement Award to
James Helmer
Back in 1985, when the False Claims
Act amendments were first being debated in Congress, Jim Helmer was the only lawyer
inthe country with a False Claims Act case in court.
Jim not only testified before both the
Senate and House concerning the 1986 False Claims Act amendments, but every
one of his suggested changes were ultimately enacted into law! Jim went on to
win his 1985 False Claims case against GE Aircraft Engines for fraudulent billing on
the B-1 bomber, and he has continued to win ever since. To date, Jim’s
law firm has returned over $700 million of purloined money to America’s
coffers.
Jim Helmer has done far more than win
cases, however; he
has also been instrumental in building the False Claims Act bar
as we know it today, authoring the first legal treatise on
the False Claims Act (now in its 5th Edition), and mentoring scores of other
lawyers practicing
in the field.
Notes, TAF President Jeb White, "For
more than 23 years, Jim Helmer's advice and intellect has been of
immeasurable value to government, co-counsel, and whistleblowers
trying to recover America's stolen billions. In my opinion,
every American taxpayer owes him a note of gratitude, as we know
that the best is yet to come."
____________
Lawyer of the Year Awards to
Steve Cohen, Mark Kleiman,
& BethAnne Yeager
Taxpayers Against Fraud is
pleased to announce that Steven H. Cohen, Mark A. Kleiman, and
BethAnne Yeager are recipients of TAF's Lawyer of the Year Award for
2008.
Over the course of seven years, Steven and Mark -- and
later with the help of BethAnne -- spearheading litigation against Merck
Pharmaceuticals brought by whistleblower Dean Steinke, alleging
massive violations of Medicaid Best Price and marketing violations
involving Vioxx and Zocor. That case was ultimately settled
for more than $400 million.
Said TAF President Jeb White, "This was not a simple or quick
case; Mark and Steve mortgaged their houses in order to fund this
litigation and shepherd the case forward to successful
resolution. In the end, this case
was a near-perfect model of the kind of public-private partnership we
like to see between a whistleblower, private counsel, the Federal
Government, and individual states."
>>
Read the press release
(PDF)
____________
Whistleblower of the Year Awards to
Sherry Scharff
and
Walter T. “Tom” Decyk
Taxpayers Against Fraud
is proud to name Sherry Scharff, L.P.N., and Walter T. “Tom” Decyk,
L.P.N., as our Whistleblowers of the Year for 2008.
In February of 2004, Sherry and Tom filed a complaint
under the Federal False Claims Act and it state analog, alleging that Green Valley
nursing home of Smyrna, Delaware, had intentionally mismanaged diabetics in order to obtain more
reimbursement; failed to provide wound care resulting in amputations
and deaths; routinely had nurses perform procedures for which they
were not authorized or licensed, and falsified records in order to
hide inadequate staffing levels.
Green Acres Health Systems eventually settled for $550,000, and six
nurses were indicted on fraud and conspiracy charges, with five of
these nurses pleading guilty to felony record falsifications.
Notes, TAF President Jeb White, "Tom and Sherry blew
the whistle to end systematic patient abuse of the elderly, sick and
poor whose care had been entrusted to the management and staff of
Green Acres Health Systems. This was not a case about money; this
was a case about getting a company
to change the way it did business, and to stop putting profits
before patients."
____________
Honest Abe Integrity in Government Award
to Congressman Dan Lungren of California
Congressman Dan Lungren has been given Taxpayers Against Fraud's
2008 “Honest Abe Integrity in Government Award,” for his work in
support of the False Claims Act, both as Attorney General of
California and for his continuing support for the Federal False
Claims Act as a Member of Congress on the House Judiciary Committee.
Under Dan Lungren's tenure as
Attorney General, California brought and settled the largest State
False Claims Act case to date, for $187 million against Bank of
America for improperly retaining unclaimed municipal bond revenue. More recently, Congressman Lungren has been a vocal champion of the
False Claims Act Amendments of 2008 which are key to keeping the
False Claims Act a sharp tool in the Government's continuing war
against fraud.
This is the third time TAF has given this award to a
Member of Congress. Previous recipients have been Congressman Howard
Berman (D- CA) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
>>
Read the press release
.
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