Opinion ID: 3031341
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: B.2.c.

Text: 14 which Atkinson was not an original source, the District Court held that jurisdiction was still lacking because, under the District Court’s reading of our decision in United States ex rel. Mistick v. Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh, 186 F.3d 376 (3d Cir. 1999), a relator must be an original source of all essential elements of a claim to survive a jurisdictional challenge under section 3730. The only claim to survive the District Court’s jurisdictional analysis was the portion of the conspiracy claim based exclusively on information for which the court found Atkinson to be an original source – Penn Ship’s failure to record and Fidelity’s failure to ensure recordation of the security interests. As to that claim, the District Court partially granted the defendants’ motion under Rule 12(b)(6) by dismissing the portion of the count alleging a reverse false claim because the District Court believed that 31 U.S.C. § 3729(a)(3) did not support that type of action.12 Also, the District Court dismissed the portion of the first count that was based on any activity prior to December 4, 1988, because of the FCA’s six-year statute of limitations. 31 U.S.C. § 3731(b)(1). In a later opinion, the District Court granted summary judgment to Penn Ship and Fidelity on the sole remaining FCA 12 31 U.S.C. § 3729(a)(3) provides liability for “[a]ny person who–conspires to defraud the Government by getting a false or fraudulent claim allowed or paid[.]” Reverse false claims are centered around an alleged fraudulent effort to reduce a liability owed to the government rather than to get a false or fraudulent claim allowed or paid. 15 conspiracy claim after determining that no reasonable jury could conclude that Penn Ship and Fidelity formed an agreement to defraud the government. The District Court first noted that recovery under 31 U.S.C. § 3729(a)(3) requires a plaintiff to show (1) a conspiracy to get a false or fraudulent claim allowed or paid and (2) an act in furtherance of the conspiracy. Following an exhaustive review of Atkinson’s proffered evidence, the District Court concluded that the evidence fell short of establishing the required agreement. Atkinson filed a motion to reconsider which was denied on September 15, 2004. Atkinson then filed a timely notice of appeal.