DOJs New Push To Prosecute Execs

In a recent speech, DOJ Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, Leslie R. Caldwell, announced an initiative within the Criminal Division to increase resources for reviewing whistleblower lawsuits alleging violations of the False Claims Act. Speaking before the Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund Conference, she noted that all government contractors were going to be under more intense scrutiny. “Rest assured,” she told the audience, “the defendants who are being charged are not just the low-hanging fruit.” In particular, she announced a significant shift in DOJ operations, whereby new qui tam complaints that come into the Civil Division are automatically shared with the Criminal Division. “Experienced prosecutors in the Fraud Section,” she said, “are immediately reviewing the qui tam cases when we receive them to determine whether to open a parallel criminal investigation.”