Source: http://www.whistleblowerlaws.com/false-claims-act/district-of-columbia-false-claims-act/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 21:52:48+00:00

Document:
The District Of Columbia False Claims Act allows whistleblowers to bring suit in the name of the District Of Columbia where a wrongdoer engages in conduct that defrauds the district of taxpayer dollars. The law is a broad reaching statute designed to address an array of wrongdoing from health care fraud to fraud involving any type of government contract or business relationship involving district government.
(2) The decision shall be supported by reasons and shall inform the contractor of his or her rights as provided in this subchapter. Specific findings of fact are not required, but, if made, shall not be binding in any subsequent proceeding.
(3) The authority of this subsection shall not apply to a claim or dispute for penalties or forfeitures prescribed by statute or regulation which another District government agency is specifically authorized to administer, settle, or determine.
(4) This subsection shall not authorize the contracting officer to settle, compromise, pay, or otherwise adjust any claim involving fraud.
(b) The decision of the contracting officer shall be final and not subject to review unless an administrative appeal or action for judicial review is timely commenced as authorized by § 2-309.04.
(A) “Knowing” or “knowingly” means that a person, with respect to information, does any of the following: (i) Has actual knowledge of the falsity of the information; (ii) Acts in deliberate ignorance of the truth or falsity of the information; or (iii) Acts in reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of the information.
§ 2-308.14. False claims liability, treble damages, costs, and civil penalties; exceptions.
§ 2-308.15. Corporation counsel investigations and prosecutions; powers of prosecuting authority; civil actions by individuals as qui tam plaintiffs; jurisdiction of courts.
(a) The Corporation Counsel shall investigate, with such assistance from other District agencies as may be required, violations pursuant to § 1-1188.14 involving District funds. If the Corporation Counsel finds that a person has violated or is violating the provisions of § 1- 1188.14, the Corporation Counsel may bring a civil action against that person in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
(1) A person may bring a civil action for a violation of § 1-1188.14 for the person and either for the District or in the name of the District. The person bringing the action shall be referred to as the qui tam plaintiff. Once filed, the action brought by the qui tam plaintiff may be dismissed only with the written consent of the court, taking into account the best interest of the parties involved and the public disclosure purposes of this subpart. The Corporation Counsel shall be served with the notice of proposed dismissal and shall have the opportunity to be heard.
(3) On the same day as the complaint is filed pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the qui tam plaintiff shall serve the Corporation Counsel by mail, return receipt requested, with a copy of the complaint and a written disclosure of substantially all material evidence and information the person possesses.
(5) Upon a showing of good cause, the Corporation Counsel may move the court for extensions of the time during which the complaint remains under seal.
(1) No person may bring an action pursuant to subsection (b) of this section against a member of the Council of the District of Columbia (“Council”), a member of the District judiciary, or an elected official in the executive branch of the District, if the action is based on any official act occurring during his or her term of office.
(A) No person may bring an action pursuant to subsection (b) of this section based upon allegations or transactions in a criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding, investigation, or report, or audit conducted by or at the request of the Council, the Auditor, the Inspector General, or other District or federal agency; or upon allegations or transactions disclosed by the news media, unless the person bringing the action is an original source of the information.
(4) No present or former employee of the District, or any person who is acting on behalf of or relying on information provided by that employee, may bring an action pursuant to subsection (b) of this section if the employee discovered or obtained the information on which the action is based during the course of his or her employment, unless that employee first in good faith exhausted internal procedures for reporting and seeking recovery of such falsely claimed sums through official channels, including notice to the Corporation Counsel, and unless the District failed to act on the information provided within a reasonable time.
(5) No member or employee of the Council of the District of Columbia, the Corporation Counsel’s Office, the Office of the Inspector General, the Office of the Auditor, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, or the Metropolitan Police Department may bring an action pursuant to subsection (b) of this section based upon information discovered during the term of his or her employment.
(1) If the District proceeds with the action, it shall have the primary responsibility for prosecuting the action. The qui tam plaintiff shall have the right to continue as a party to the action and to participate in the action to the extent that the qui tam plaintiff is able to demonstrate to the court that such participation would neither be duplicative of nor interfere with the prosecution of the action by the Corporation Counsel; provided, that the qui tam action was proper pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.
(A) The District may dismiss the action for good cause shown.
(1) If the District elects not to proceed and the qui tam action was proper pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the qui tam plaintiff shall have the same right to conduct the action as the Corporation Counsel would have had if he or she had chosen to proceed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. If the District so requests, the District shall be served with copies of all pleadings filed in the action.
(1) If the District proceeds with an action brought by a qui tam plaintiff pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, and the qui tam action was proper pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the qui tam plaintiff, subject to paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection, shall receive at least 10%, but not more than 20%, of the proceeds of the judgment or settlement of the claim, taking into account the significance of the information, the role of the qui tam plaintiff in advancing the litigation, the qui tam plaintiff’s attempts to avoid or resist such activity, and all other circumstances surrounding the activity, except, that if the qui tam plaintiff was substantially involved in the fraudulent activity on which the action is based, the court may direct that the plaintiff receive less than 10%. When the Corporation Counsel conducts the action, 25% of the proceeds of the judgment or settlement of the claim shall be paid into the Antifraud Fund established by § 1-1188.20.
(4) If the District or the qui tam plaintiff prevails in or settles any action pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the qui tam plaintiff shall receive an amount for reasonable expenses which the court finds to have been necessarily incurred, plus reasonable costs and attorneys fees. All expenses, costs, and fees shall be awarded against the defendant and under no circumstances shall they be the responsibility of the District.
§ 2-308.16. Employer interference with employee disclosures; liability of employer; remedies of employee.
(a) No employer, including the District of Columbia, shall make, adopt, or enforce any rule, regulation, or policy preventing an employee from disclosing information to a government or law enforcement agency concerning, or from acting in furtherance of, a false claims action, including investigating, initiating, testifying, or assisting in an action filed or to be filed pursuant to § 1- 1188.15.
(b) No employer, including the District of Columbia, shall discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, deny promotion to, or in any other manner discriminate against an employee in the terms and conditions of employment because of lawful acts done by the employee on behalf of the employee or others in disclosing information to a government or law enforcement agency relating to, or in furtherance of, a false claims action, including investigation of, initiation of, or testimony or assistance in, an action filed or to be filed pursuant to § 2-308.15.
(c) Any employer, including the District of Columbia, who violates subsection (b) of this section shall be liable for the relief necessary to make the employee whole, including reinstatement with the same seniority status that the employee would have had but for the discrimination, two times the amount of back pay, interest on the back pay, compensation for any special damage sustained as a result of the discrimination, and, where appropriate (except in the case of the District), punitive damages. In addition, the defendant shall be required to pay litigation costs and reasonable attorneys fees, necessarily incurred. An employee may bring an action in the Superior Court for the relief provided in this subsection.
§ 2-308.17. Limitation of actions; burden of proof.
(a) A civil action brought pursuant to § 2-308.15 may not be filed more than 6 years after the date on which the violation of § 2-308.14 is committed or more than 3 years after the date when facts material to the right of action are known or reasonably should have been known by an official of the Office of Corporation Counsel, but in no event more than 9 years after the date on which the violation is committed, whichever occurs last.
§ 2-308.18. Remedies pursuant to other laws; severability of provisions; liberality of article construction.
(2) The Corporation Counsel may delegate to the Principal Deputy Corporation Counsel the authority, in his or her absence, to issue civil investigative demands pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection. The Corporation Counsel may not issue a civil investigative demand in order to conduct, or assist in the conducting of, a criminal investigation.
(1) Each civil investigative demand issued pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of this section shall state the nature of the conduct constituting the alleged violation of a false claims law which is under investigation, and the applicable provision of law alleged to have been violated.
(5) The date prescribed for the commencement of oral testimony pursuant to a civil investigative demand shall be a date that is not less than 7 days after the date on which the demand is received, unless the Corporation Counsel determines that exceptional circumstances are present that warrant the commencement of such testimony within a shorter period of time.
(6) The Corporation Counsel shall not authorize, pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of this section, issuance of more than one civil investigative demand for oral testimony by the same person unless the person requests otherwise or unless the Corporation Counsel, after investigation, notifies that person in writing that an additional demand for oral testimony is necessary.
(1) Any civil investigative demand issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may be served by a false claims law investigator or his or her agent, or by a United States marshal or a deputy marshal, at any place within the territorial jurisdiction of any court of the United States; provided, that the Superior Court of the District of Columbia could exercise jurisdiction over the recipient of the demand consistent with the due process clause of the Constitution of the United States.
(1) The examination of any person, pursuant to a civil investigative demand for oral testimony, shall be conducted before an officer authorized to administer oaths and affirmations by the laws of the United States or of the place where the examination is held. The officer before whom the testimony is taken shall put the witness under oath or affirmation and shall, personally or by someone acting under the direction of the officer and in the officer’s presence, record the testimony of the witness. The testimony shall be taken by any means authorized by, and in a manner consistent with, the Superior Court Civil Rules, and shall be transcribed.
(6) Upon payment of reasonable charges therefor, the false claims law investigator shall furnish a copy of the transcript to the witness only, except that the Corporation Counsel may, for good cause, limit such witness to inspection of the official transcript of the witness’s testimony.
(1) The Corporation Counsel shall designate a false claims law investigator to serve as custodian of documentary material, answers to interrogatories, and transcripts of oral testimony received pursuant to this section, and shall designate such additional false claims law investigators as the Corporation Counsel determines from time to time to be necessary to serve as deputies to the custodian.
(A) A false claims law investigator who receives any documentary material, answers to interrogatories, or transcripts of oral testimony pursuant to this section shall transmit them to the custodian. The custodian shall take physical possession of such material, answers, or transcripts and shall be responsible for the use made of them and for the return of documentary material pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection.
(B) The custodian may cause the preparation of such copies of such documentary material, answers to interrogatories, or transcripts of oral testimony as may be required for official use by any false claims law investigator, or any other officer or employee of the Office of the Corporation Counsel who is authorized for such use by the Corporation Counsel. Such material, answers, and transcripts may be used by any authorized false claims law investigator or other officer or employee in connection with the taking of oral testimony pursuant to this section.
(C) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, no documentary material, answers to interrogatories, or transcripts of oral testimony, or copies thereof, while in the possession of the custodian, shall be available for examination by any individual other than a false claims law investigator or officer or employee of the Office of the Corporation Counsel authorized pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph. The prohibition in the preceding sentence on the availability of material, answers, or transcripts shall not apply if consent is given by the person who produced such material, answers, or transcripts. Nothing in this subparagraph is intended to prevent disclosure to the District of Columbia Council, including any committee of the Council, to the United States Attorney’s Office, or to any other agency of the United States for use by such agency in furtherance of its statutory responsibilities. Disclosure of information to any agency other than the Council or the United States Attorney’s Office shall be allowed only upon application, made by the Corporation Counsel to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, showing substantial need for the use of the information by such agency in furtherance of its statutory responsibilities and after giving the individuals who provided the information an opportunity to be heard on the release of the information.
(3) Whenever any attorney of the Office of the Corporation Counsel is conducting any official investigation or proceeding, the custodian of any documentary material, answers to interrogatories, or transcripts of oral testimony received pursuant to this section may deliver to such attorney such material, answers, or transcripts for official use in connection with any such investigation or proceeding as such attorney determines to be required. Upon the completion of any such investigation or proceeding, such attorney shall return to the custodian any such material, answers, or transcripts so delivered that have not passed into the control of any court or agency through introduction into the record of any case or proceeding.
(4) If any documentary material has been produced by any person in the course of any false claims law investigation pursuant to a civil investigative demand, and any case or proceeding before a court arising out of such investigation, or any proceeding before any District government agency involving such material, has been completed, or no case or proceeding in which such material may be used has been commenced within a reasonable time after completion of the examination and analysis of all documentary material and other information assembled in the course of such investigation, the custodian shall, upon written request of the person who produced such material, return to such person any such material (other than copies furnished to the false claims law investigator pursuant to subsection (g)(2) of this section or made for the Office of the Corporation Counsel pursuant to paragraph (2)(B) of this subsection), which has not passed into the control of any court or agency through introduction into the record of such case or proceeding.
(1) Whenever any person fails to comply with any civil investigative demand, or whenever satisfactory copying or reproduction of any material requested in such demand cannot be done and such person refuses to surrender such material, the Corporation Counsel may file in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and serve upon such person a petition for an order of such court for the enforcement of the civil investigative demand.
(l) Any documentary material, answers to written interrogatories, or oral testimony provided pursuant to any civil investigative demand issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be exempt from disclosure pursuant to subchapter 2 of Chapter 15 of this title.
(1) “Custodian” means the custodian, or any deputy custodian, designated by the Corporation Counsel pursuant to subsection (j)(1) of this section.
(a) There is hereby established an Antifraud Fund (“Fund”) to be operated as a proprietary fund with assets not to exceed $2,000,000 at any time. The Fund shall consist of criminal fines, civil penalties, and damages collected in cases brought pursuant to this chapter, other than funds awarded to a cooperator or for restitution to a particular agency in the amount of the actual loss to that agency. Such funds (with the exception of amounts for an award to a cooperator or restitution to a program) shall be deposited in the Fund upon receipt. Monies in the Fund shall not revert to the General Fund of the District of Columbia at the end of any fiscal year, but shall remain available for the purposes set forth in this section, subject to authorization and appropriation by Congress. Any balance in excess of that allowed the Fund by this section shall be deposited in the General Fund of the District of Columbia.
(b) Amounts in the Fund shall be available for use by the Corporation Counsel to carry out the enforcement of this chapter, including all costs reasonably related to prosecuting cases and conducting investigations pursuant to this chapter.
(c) The Fund shall be audited annually by the Inspector General.
§ 2-308.21. Penalties for false representations.

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