INTRODUCTIONYou may not think of your profession as having anything to do with protecting the public, but many professions have a responsibility to do so. For example, doctors and other medical professionals have to report on doctors who are not keeping patients safe and following the standards of care. The same with lawyers. Professionals who design and build infrastructure, as well as those who construct, maintain, and fly airplanes have to report on practices that violate federal or local laws, are not safe, or waste resources. Personnel in other fields may have a responsibility to report on violations of ethical standards. For example, psychologists and other mental health professionals have a duty to report if a colleague appears to be a danger to clients or is otherwise unfit to practice. Similarly, lawyers have to report if a colleague commits misconduct, such as committing an ethical violation or withholding information that they are ethically required to share with their client. ALTERNATIVE AVENUES FOR REPORTING FRAUDWhile the False Claims Act is a powerful tool for addressing fraud against the federal government, there are additional whistleblower programs available for individuals seeking to report other types of misconduct or violations. Read on to learn the additional whistleblower programs for reporting misconduct. IRS Whistleblower ProgramThe Internal Revenue Service’s whistleblower program allows individuals or entities with knowledge of non-payment or underpayment of taxes to come forward and provide the IRS with that information. An IRS whistleblower can receive between 15% and 30% of the total recovery. Information can be provided about both companies and individuals who have not paid their fair share of taxes, as long as certain threshold requirements are met. SEC & CFTC Whistleblower ProgramsBoth the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have whistleblower programs that allow an individual to report violations of the securities and commodities trading laws and regulations. Successful whistleblowers are entitled in between 10% and 30% of any penalty imposed by these agencies. Whistleblowers with knowledge of insider trading, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, accounting fraud, or any other illegal or improper schemes that harm investors or violate the law, can come forward with this information to regulatory authorities on a confidential basis to file whistleblower lawsuits. FIRREA/FIAFEA Whistleblower ActionsUnder FIAFEA’s whistleblower provisions, if the United States recovers under FIRREA based on original information brought by the whistleblower, the whistleblower is entitled to 20 percent to 30 percent of the first $1,000,000 recovered, 10 percent to 20 percent of the next $4,000,000 recovered, and 5 percent to 10 percent of the next $5,000,000 recovered, for a total potential recovery of $1.6 million. State False Claims ActsCurrently, 31 states have false claims act statutes that provide whistleblowers a reward if a state government recovers. These state statutes follow the Federal False Claims Act for whistleblower lawsuits, providing an award between 15 and 30 percent of the state’s recovery. Several states, including Tennessee and California, allow whistleblower awards of up to 50 percent of the government’s recovery in a whistleblower lawsuit. For more information, contact Nashville whistleblower attorney Timothy L. Miles for a free case evaluation today at no charge. (855) 846-6529 or [email protected]. Consult with a nashville whistleblow attorney if you are concerned you may Be Fired even with whistleblower protectionsWhistleblowers are granted whistleblower protections from retaliation under the FCA, including demotion, termination, suspension, denial of benefits, and any other retaliatory behavior. If an unethical organization attempts to retaliate against you despite these whistleblower protections, you can file a lawsuit against them and recover the damages their actions have caused. However, it is important to act quickly if you do experience retaliation. Time is of the essence in these situations, and you’ll need to prove that you were fired as a result of the qui tam lawsuit you were a part of. Waiting to file a whistleblower lawsuit can make your case weaker and potentially cause you to lose it altogether, so it is important to speak with a qualified Nashville whistleblower attorney as soon as possible.. If You Are Thinking of Blowing the Whistle, Contact Nashville Whistleblower Attorney Timothy L. Miles TodayIf you have knowledge of fraud against or by the federal government, contact Nashville Whistleblower attorney Timothy L. Miles who can guide you through the whistleblower process and explain your whistleblower protections. The consultation is free and confidential. Just complete the form below to get started or call (855) Tim-M-Law. Ask a Nashville Whistleblower attorney, you could be entitled to a significant whistleblower award. Please also visit our Resources center which provides a wealth of information on whistleblower lawsuits, among others. Call today and see what a whistleblower attorney in Nashville can do for you. The Law Offices of Timothy L. Miles Tapestry at Brentwood Town Center 300 Centerview Dr., #247 Brentwood, TN 37027 Phone: (855) 846–6529 Email: [email protected] Nashville whistleblower attorney Timothy L. Miles Nashville attorney Timothy L. Miles is a nationally recognized shareholder rights attorney raised in Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Miles has dedicated his career to representing shareholders, employees, and consumers in complex class-action litigation. Whether serving as lead, co-lead, or liaison counsel, Mr. Miles has helped recover hundreds of millions of dollars for defrauded investors, shaped precedent-setting decisions, and delivered real corporate governance reforms. Judges and peers have repeatedly recognized Mr. Miles’ relentless advocacy for the underdog, as well as his unbendable ethical standards. Mr. Miles was recently selected by Martindale-Hubbell® and ALM as a 2022 Top Ranked Lawyer, 2022 Top Rated Litigator. and a 2022 Elite Lawyer of the South. Mr. Miles also maintains the AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®, their highest rating for both legal ability and ethics. Mr. Miles is a member of the prestigious Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers: The National Trial Lawyers Association,Class Action: Class Action: Top National Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Association (2023), a superb rated attorney by Avvo, a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by Premier Lawyers of America (2019) and recognized as a Distinguished Lawyer, Recognizing Excellence in Securities Law, by Lawyers of Distinction (2019); a Top Rated Litigator by Martindale-Hubbell® and ALM (2019-2022); America’s Most Honored Lawyers 2020 – Top 1% by America’s Most Honored (2020-2022). Mr. Miles has published over sixty articles on various issues of the law, including class actions, whistleblower cases, products liability, civil procedure, derivative actions, corporate takeover litigation, corporate formation, mass torts, dangerous drugs, and more. 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