• AML
  • Qui Tam
  • SEC
  • CFTC
  • FCPA
  • FAQS
Demand Protections for Artificial Intelligence Whistleblowers | Take Action!
Subscribe
Donate
Get Help
No Result
View All Result
Whistleblower Network News
The Truth at Any Cost.
Qui Tam, Compliance and Anti-Corruption News.
Whistleblower Network News
No Result
View All Result
Home False Claims-Qui Tam

Qui Tam Whistleblower Suit Leads to $20 Million Judgement Over Covid Relief Fraud Allegations

Geoff SchwellerbyGeoff Schweller
March 18, 2025
in False Claims-Qui Tam
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Duct Cleaning Company To Pay $30,000 To Settle Allegations of PPP Loan Fraud; Whistleblower To Receive Award 
Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInEmail

On March 12, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Florida businessman Patrick Walsh and the 10 companies he represented agreed to enter in a $20 million consent judgment to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) through pandemic relief fraud.

The judgement stems from a qui tam whistleblower suit filed by Andrew Hersh, who performed information technology services for Walsh.

According to the DOJ, Walsh provided false information about his companies’ employee rosters and payrolls in support of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan applications. 

Register for National Whistleblower Day Register for National Whistleblower Day Register for National Whistleblower Day

“Some of the entities for which Walsh submitted loan applications were dormant or inactive,” the government states. The DOJ further alleges that “Walsh used those loan proceeds for impermissible personal purposes, including the purchase of a private island, investment in Texas oil interests, and paying off personal debts.”

“PPP and EIDL loans were intended to help small businesses during the pandemic,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov M. Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to holding accountable those who undermined the purpose of these programs by knowingly obtaining and retaining loan proceeds for which they were not eligible.”

During FY 2024, settlements and judgments under the False Claims Act exceeded $2.9 billion and over $2.4 billion of the recoveries stemmed from qui tam whistleblower lawsuits. Furthermore, according to the government, a record 979 qui tam lawsuits were filed in FY 2024.

However, in September 2024, a district judge in Florida ruled that the False Claims Act’s qui tam provisions were unconstitutional. The U.S. federal government is urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to reverse that decision, stating in a brief that “other than the district court here, every court to have addressed the constitutionality of the False Claims Act’s qui tam provisions has upheld them.”

National Whistleblower Center has issued an Action Alert allowing whistleblower supporters to write the members of Congress urging them to protect and strengthen and protect the False Claims Act.

The claims asserted in this case are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Join NWC in Taking Action:

Strengthen the False Claims Act and Protect it From Attack

Further Reading:

Florida Businessman Patrick Walsh and Affiliated Companies Agree to $20M Consent Judgment to Settle False Claims Act Liability Relating to Fraudulent Pandemic Relief Loans

More False Claims Act News

Previous Post

Countries Must Fill in Void Left by Shift in U.S. FCPA Enforcement, Says Leading Whistleblower Attorney

Next Post

Whistleblower Case Against Detroit Club Results in $350K False Claims Act Settlement

Geoff Schweller

Geoff Schweller

Geoff Schweller is the Assistant News Editor for Whistleblower Network News. He coordinates news coverage, and also writes about breaking whistleblower news, SEC whistleblowers, IRS whistleblowers, CFTC whistleblowers, and federal employee whistleblowers. Geoff graduated from Hamilton College with a degree in Sociology and minors in French & Francophone Studies and Cinema & New Media Studies.

Next Post
Whistleblower Case Against Detroit Club Results in $350K False Claims Act Settlement

Whistleblower Case Against Detroit Club Results in $350K False Claims Act Settlement

Receive Daily Alerts

Subscribe to receive daily breaking news and legislative developments sent to your inbox.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Most Popular

Whistleblower Advocates Take Issue with New York’s Policy of Favoring Arbitration

Whistleblowers to Receive Up to $920K after Alleging Fraud in Breast Cancer Testing

Supreme Court Upholds, For Now, Trump Firing of MSPB Chair

Whistleblower Suit Leads to $3.3 Million Stark Law Settlement

Paper Outlines Founding Father’s Warnings As Trump Goes After Key Whistleblower Appointees

Whistleblower Receives $5 Million for Exposing California Health System’s Alleged Kickback Scheme

Whistleblower Poll

Whistleblower Poll
Whistleblower Poll

Exclusive Marist Poll: Overwhelming Public Support Among Likely Voters For Increased Whistleblower Protections

byGeoff Schweller
October 6, 2020

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

STAY INFORMED.
Subscribe to receive breaking whistleblower updates.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About Us

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Careers

Subscribe

  • Daily Mail
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • YouTube Channel

Contribute

  • Letter to the Editor
  • Submission Guidelines
  • Reprint Guidelines

Your Experience

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Help

  • Rules for Whistleblowers
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Advertise
Whistleblower Network News

Whistleblower Network News is an independent online newspaper providing our readers with up-to-date information on whistleblowing. Our goal is to be the best source of information on important qui tam, anti-corruption, compliance, and whistleblower law developments.

Submit an Article

Copyright © 2025, Whistleblower Network News. All Rights Reserved.

This Newspaper/Web Site is made available by the publisher for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this website, you understand that there is no attorney-client relationship between you and the Newspaper/Web Site publisher. The Newspaper/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.

Become a Whistleblower Network News Subscriber

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Subscribe to WNN

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Subscribe to WNN
Join the Waitlist for National Whistleblower Day 2025! July 30, 2025 on Capitol Hill
JOIN WAITLIST

Add New Playlist

Demand Protections for Artificial Intelligence Whistleblowers

Take Action!
No Result
View All Result
  • Exclusives
  • Government
    • False Claims-Qui Tam
    • Federal Employees
    • Intelligence
  • Corporate
    • CFTC & Commodities
    • Dodd-Frank
    • IRS & Tax
    • SEC & Securities
  • Features
  • Legislation
  • International
    • Foreign Corruption
  • Rewards
  • Whistleblower of the Week
  • Environment & Climate
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Employment
    • Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblowers
    • Retaliation
    • OSHA
  • Make National Whistleblower Day Permanent
  • Media
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • National Whistleblower Day
  • Whistleblower Poll
  • Whistleblower Resources
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Resources for Locating An Attorney
    • The New Whistleblowers Handbook

Copyright © 2024, Whistleblower Network News. All Rights Reserved.

Go to mobile version