The False Claims Act Seal: The DOJ's Position

<b><i>Part Two of a Three-Part Article</i></b><p>Notwithstanding the absence of an explicit gag order in the statute, the DOJ takes the position that, even if the relator properly files the case under seal at the outset, that relator can later “breach the seal,” and be subject to judicial sanction, if he or she discloses the existence of the <i>qui tam</i> to others.

7 minute read January 01, 2018 at 12:04 AM
By
Andrew W. Schilling and Megan E. Whitehill
The False Claims Act Seal: The DOJ's Position

Editor's Note: As discussed in Part One of this article, investigations of False Claim Act violations that are initiated as a result of a sealed qui tam complaint raise the question: While the relator and the government are bound by the seal and so cannot reveal the existence of the case or its particulars, does the same apply to the target of the claim?

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