The US Department of Justice Involved In A Whistleblower Lawsuit That Alleges Symantec Overcharged Federal and State Governments Tens of Millions Parker Waichman Comments
Port Washington, New York (PRWEB) August 14, 2014 -- Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm that has long been dedicated to protecting the rights of victims who have been defrauded due to unethical behaviors, reports that the Justice Department recently joined in a whistleblower lawsuit that alleges that technology company, Symantec, overcharged the federal and some states’ governments. The case is the United States of America and the States of California, Florida, and New York, ex rel. Lori Morsell and Lori Morsell v. Symantec Corporation, which was filed on July 20, 2013 in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (Case 1:12-cv-00800-RC).
“Parker Waichman is pleased to learn that the Department of Justice has joined in this case, which lends credence to the whistleblower’s claims,” said Gary Falkowitz, Managing Attorney at the firm. “These types of alleged fraudulent activities cost the government and its taxpayers money and weaken our economy.”
According to a July 28, 2014 The Washington Post report, the computer software firm’s overcharges number in the tens of millions of dollars, and the lawsuit includes allegations that Symantec put a spin on the way in which it was discounting its products to its commercial consumers. Because the government’s price for the involved products was based on the commercial firms’ discounts, the government’s price was also inflated. The contract was in effect from 2007 to 2012 and involved software sales totaling in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
“When doing business with the government, honesty and transparency are essential,” United States Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. said in a statement. “We are committed to ensuring that contractors who do business with the federal government provide honest services, prices, and products,” Machen Jr. added, according to The Washington Post report. Not unexpectedly, Symantec denied all allegations of wrongdoing, issuing a statement that indicated, in part, “We deny any wrongdoing and are confident the prices paid by the government for Symantec products and services were fair and reasonable.” The whistleblower continues to be employed by Symantec.
The United States Department of Justice indicated in a July 22, 2014 report that Symantec allegedly submitted false claims to the United States on a General Services Administration (GSA) software contract known as a Multiple Award contract. The contract was entered into in 2007 and enabled Symantec to sell its software and other items directly to federal buyers. According to the lawsuit, wrote the Justice Department, Symantec was aware it provided the government with “inaccurate and incomplete information” concerning pricing to its commercial customers during the contract’s negotiation and performance. “Contractors cannot provide GSA with inaccurate and incomplete pricing data,” said GSA Acting Inspector General Robert C. Erickson. “American taxpayers deserve a fair deal.”
Whistleblowers are crucial to stopping illegal employer activities that may harm citizens and which may also defraud the government and other entities, noted Parker Waichman LLP.
The False Claims Act enables private persons to file lawsuits that may provide the government with details that concern such wrongdoings. Under the statute, if it is established that a person knowingly submitted and/or caused others to submit false or fraudulent claims to the United States, the U.S. government may then recover treble damages, Parker Waichman LLP also pointed out. Additional monies may also be received for every statute that has been violated. Should the government successfully resolve or litigate its claims, the whistleblower who initiated the action may also receive a significant portion of the recovered amount.
Parker Waichman LLP offers free legal consultations to potential whistleblowers. If you believe that your company is involved in illegal activities, please visit the http:// Whistleblower page at YourLawyer.com or call 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).
Gary Falkowitz, Parker Waichman LLP, http://yourlawyer.com, +1 (800) 529-4636, [email protected]
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