False Eligibility Application For Grant May Violate FCA
Client Alert | 1 min read | 11.09.05
In a ruling that could expand the exposure of grantees to False Claims Act liability, the Seventh Circuit in United States ex rel. Main v. Oakland City University (Oct. 20, 2005) held that a relator stated an FCA claim based upon a private university's allegedly false representation, made on a "phase one" application to establish institutional eligibility for federal financial aid, that it would comply with laws prohibiting payment of incentive fees to recruiters for enrolling students. Rejecting the argument that the "phase one" application does not by itself seek any payment, the court reasoned that a false "phase one" eligibility application could be actionable as a "false record or statement" under the FCA because it supports subsequent "phase two" requests for specific loans and grants.
Insights
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.21.25
On November 7, 2025, in Thornton v. National Academy of Sciences, No. 25-cv-2155, 2025 WL 3123732 (D.D.C. Nov. 7, 2025), the District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a False Claims Act (FCA) retaliation complaint on the basis that the plaintiff’s allegations that he was fired after blowing the whistle on purported illegally discriminatory use of federal funding was not sufficient to support his FCA claim. This case appears to be one of the first filed, and subsequently dismissed, following Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s announcement of the creation of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative on May 19, 2025, which “strongly encourages” private individuals to file lawsuits under the FCA relating to purportedly discriminatory and illegal use of federal funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in violation of Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (Jan. 21, 2025). In this case, the court dismissed the FCA retaliation claim and rejected the argument that an organization could violate the FCA merely by “engaging in discriminatory conduct while conducting a federally funded study.” The analysis in Thornton could be a sign of how forthcoming arguments of retaliation based on reporting allegedly fraudulent DEI activity will be analyzed in the future.
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.20.25
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.20.25
Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.19.25
