NY State AG Targets Private Equity for Tax Related FCA Violations
Client Alert | 1 min read | 04.20.17
On April 18, the New York Attorney General’s Office announced a $40 million settlement with a hedge fund under the state’s False Claims Act, arising out of whistleblower allegations that members of the fund’s investment manager failed to pay millions in New York State tax on performance income for several years. According to the AG, the settlement reflects “the largest tax-related recovery by the Attorney General’s office resulting from an action filed under the New York False Claims Act.” As firms evaluate their exposure to state-level FCA claims, it is worth noting that the state’s FCA was amended several years ago to cover tax claims, in a bill sponsored by the current AG.
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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
