National Whistleblower and Qui Tam Attorneys In Washington DC
Our Whistleblower/Qui Tam Practice combines passionate advocacy for whistleblower clients with institutional knowledge of whistleblower law and forward-thinking strategies in representing those who heroically expose fraud. We understand the crucial role whistleblowers play in protecting citizens against corporate malfeasance, and why we value and protect the anonymity of those who bravely come forward.
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight: Uniquely Qualified Whistleblower Attorneys
Firm Co-Chairman Vince McKnight, who leads the Whistleblower/Qui Tam Practice, has been representing whistleblowers since 1995, helping the government recover billions of dollars in fines and penalties and securing millions of dollars in whistleblower awards for his clients. Mr. McKnight also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Anti-Fraud Coalition and Taxpayers Against Fraud, a sister DC-based whistleblower advocacy organizations that closely follow developments in whistleblower law and the reward programs for those who expose fraud in government procurement, banking, and the digital marketplace.
Vince McKnight serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Whistleblower/Qui Tam practice group with Co-Chair John McKnight, who regularly speaks on panels on whistleblower law for the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, and the Anti-Fraud Coalition. John’s practice has focused on representing corporate whistleblowers who have exposed securities, commodities, and digital assets or cryptocurrency fraud, banking misconduct, and other frauds affecting financial markets and investors. John is dedicated to topics in fintech, corporate valuation, and cybersecurity.
Senior Litigation Counsels Sarah Chu and Frank Xu are also members of the Whistleblower & Qui Tam Practice Group in the Washington, DC office. They provide subject matter expertise to whistleblowers interested in exposing securities, healthcare, carbon, digital advertising, and tax fraud. Additionally, they are experienced with false claims act litigation and retaliation cases stemming from whistleblower claims. Sarah is fluent in Korean, and Frank is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.
Taking on Domestic and International Whistleblower Cases on Behalf of the Federal Government
Our attorneys work in partnership with multiple federal agencies to expose fraud against U.S. taxpayers and the private sector. The whistleblowers we’ve represented have helped the federal government recover billions of dollars in fines from financial institutions, defense contractors, medical device-makers, and more. Our office is located in the heart of the capital, with access to key enforcement players in all the relevant regulatory agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The sheer proliferation of fraud means many potential claims go unreported, taxing the government’s capacity to investigate them equally and thoroughly. These limitations inspired the federal government to create whistleblower programs to incentivize insiders to report fraud, and private law firms to bring these claims to the agencies on their behalf. That is where we come in. We understand that without whistleblowers, bad actors go unpunished. But we also understand the kinds of information the government finds valuable. Over the decades, our whistleblower attorneys have established and grown trusted relationships with a number of key agencies involved in whistleblower and qui tam matters.
Fraud Against the Government
The Department of Justice enforces the False Claims Act (FCA), which empowers a private citizen (called a “relator”) to bring a whistleblower claim (or “qui tam”) lawsuit against an individual or organization for defrauding a U.S. governmental entity. Typical violations can include Defense Department contractor fraud, customs fraud, or Medicaid fraud. Under the FCA, relators who successfully help the government expose such white-collar crime are eligible to receive 15% to 30% of the money collected as a result of a settlement or penalties levied against the defendant.
Financial Fraud
Financial crimes that impact everything from publicly traded stock to private crypto exchanges fall under the purview of both the Securities & Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Program incentivizes individuals to come forward with information regarding federal securities or commodities law violations.
Our firm is representing the former Chief Security Officer for Wells Fargo who blew the whistle on the bank’s infamous “fake account” scandal, resulting in Wells Fargo agreeing to pay over $3 billion in fines.
The SEC, with the DOJ, jointly enforces the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), also known as the anti-bribery law. This law is used to prosecute bribes paid abroad by companies that are directly or indirectly connected to the U.S. Whistleblowers reporting FCPA violations are eligible for rewards if the SEC issues penalties based on original information provided by the relator.
The Importance of Whistleblowers Working in Big Tech
For Big Tech companies, the federal government is a consummate customer. It’s estimated that federal agencies hand out $300 billion to $400 billion annually in technology contracts. In 2022, the Pentagon awarded $9 billion in contracts to Amazon, Google, Oracle, and Microsoft to develop a centralized cloud-computing system for the Department of Defense, called Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability.
While Silicon Valley and Raleigh-Durham, N.C., have long been known as high-tech hubs, the greater Washington DC area including border cities in Maryland and Virginia (often referred to as the DMV) has become another national center for tech giants with proximity to the federal government and national agencies, including:
- Amazon: In 2023, the company opened its “second headquarters” in Arlington, Va. Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos is publisher of The Washington Post. Among Amazon’s government contracts is a $600 million deal to build private cloud-computing services for the CIA.
- Oracle: The software and cloud company has a sizable campus in Reston, Va. In 2024, Oracle announced a continuing partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop an electronic healthcare record system.
- Google: Google’s DC headquarters are located only a mile from the Capitol Building. The company spun off Google Public Sector to compete for government contracts in the cybersecurity and analytics sectors, among others.
- Microsoft: The software giant has a growing presence in the DMW, with offices in Arlington, Va., Reston, Va., and Elkridge, Md. In 2022, Microsoft secured a $10 billion contract to provide the military with cloud-based services for the next decade, helping the military transform its digital operations.
The Proliferation of Digital Ad Fraud Cases
The face of fraud has transformed. The lone hacker in his basement trying to steal trade secrets is now a software developer at a technology company, instructed by superiors to develop an AI-assisted algorithm that can fraudulently manipulate dynamic pricing on an app-based service. No industry has seen a bigger proliferation in fraud than digital advertising. While estimates vary, the cost of digital ad fraud—in which clicks or engagements are falsified to collect inflated payments—cost companies between $88 billion and $125 billion in 2023.
As reported in The Wall Street Journal, the Association of National Advertisers estimates that about 11% of digital ads end up on pseudo, “made for advertising” websites (MFA’s), created to fool ad buyers into believing they are buying space on legitimate sites.Leading the Way: Representing Whistleblowers in Digital Ad Fraud Claims (h2)
Our attorneys understand how digital ad fraud works and have seen how fraud has transformed in the digital age. Vince McKnight is at the forefront of representing individuals with digital ad fraud claims. Working with clients from this sector necessitates a deep understanding of the complexities of various tech businesses, industry-specific terminology, and the milieu in which our clients professionally live. Attorney McKnight and our whistleblower team are engaged daily in tech circles sharing and growing in their knowledge, experience, and insight which collectively combines with a singular mission—to empower whistleblowers to come forward to report abuses. For these reasons, we are uniquely positioned to represent whistleblowers on the frontlines of technology.Whistleblower Claims in FinTech (h2)
Our Whistleblower/Qui Tam Practice Group Co-Chair John McKnight specializes in the intersection of whistleblower law and the world of digital financial markets. Increased digitization has opened the door for non-traditional financial entities to play a greater role in world financial markets. Whether it is a cryptocurrency on an exchange, chips in a gambling app, or dollars on a transactions platform, consumers now trade and store financial instruments on many different mobile applications outside of the traditional banking system. As this digital grey market has developed, traditional banks are also offering novel financial products that were unimaginable when the Securities and Exchange Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, and other critical regulatory statutes were drafted. These circumstances have proven ripe for fraud. John McKnight combines his experience representing whistleblowers in enforcement matters with the SEC and CFTC with his passion for financial markets.
Highlighting Important Whistleblower Successes
Understanding how vital whistleblowers are to catching bad actors committing fraud, waste, and abuse, the U.S. government incentivizes private citizens to get involved in public enforcement through whistleblower reward programs. While these programs vary, information from a whistleblower that leads to civil penalties of more than $1 million are often eligible for 10% to 30% of the government’s recovery, dependent on the value of the information they provide.
Some of the whistleblowers we have represented include:
- Wells Fargo “fake account” scandal: Our client, the former Executive V.P. and Chief Security Officer for Wells Fargo, was instrumental in exposing how the bank’s pressure campaign to meet unrealistic sales goals led employees to commit identify theft in creating phony customer accounts, or by providing products under false pretenses or without consent. Wells Fargo has since been forced to pay over $3 billion in fines.
- Navistar Government Procurement Fraud: We represented the former Director of Contracts at Navistar who blew the whistle on the company’s alleged over-charging of the U.S. Department of Defense for parts essential to armored vehicles used in combat, resulting in a $50 million settlement.
- Invitation Homes False Claims Act Settlement: Our client, a La Jolla, CA, businessman, alleged that Invitation Homes, the largest corporate residential landlord in the U.S., obtained building permits for only a fraction of the roughly 12,000 homes the company purchased and renovated across California. Invitation Homes was fined $19.9 million.
- International Vitamin Corp. Customs Fraud Case: Our client alleged that IVC, a leading importer of dietary supplements, systematically skirted customs duties on thousands of imports from China by fraudulently reporting incorrect tariff classifications and duty rates on the imports. The case resulted in IVC agreeing to repay the government nearly $23 million.
Passionate Attorneys Ready to Represent and Protect You
Whistleblowers serve as the last—and perhaps only—line of defense to catch those cheating the government and consumers. You perform a vital public service and deserve legal representation backed by decades of experience and a profound understanding of the process of reporting fraud to the government. We understand the professional and personal stakes involved. If you need guidance and wish to consult with us regarding a domestic or international whistleblower claim, please fill out the contact form below which we will review and respond to quickly.