WHOA! Law firm TV Ad in Houston addresses WHISTLE BLOWERS!

[elehhhhna]

They're encouraging people who have info/proof of fraud in Government contacts to call them--and touting the millions in bounties paid to prior whistle blowers.

Most excellent development! I guess capping personal injury settlements caused some firms to get creative!

[in_cog_ni_to]

1. Hot Damn!

Now if this will only spread like a wild fire...that would be most excellent! Go Texas! Get Delay! :bounce:

[tridim]

2. Great! I thought you were going to say..

the commercial discouraged whistle blowers.. Because nothing good comes out of TX.

[elehhhhna]

3. The firm's in Hawaii but they refer locally. YEEHA!

I hear Haliiburton's employees calling...

[EFerrari]

8. Hey, Blue Bonnet Ice Cream comes out of TX and it's

fabulous. :)

[Nothing Without Hope]

9. Yes, I love BlueBonnet Ice Cream - but this program might or might not

be helpful. What will they do with the contacts AFTER they make them? Will the whistleblowers' cases be helped?

Too soon to know. If this is primarily for making money through court cases, then people who are pointing to government fraud may not get much interest. Depends on who they can sue and for how much.

Is it more than just the profit motive? Would have to be if there is going to be real hope of addressing the scope of fraud.

[EFerrari]

10. These guys sound like they want to make a living.

And apparently, government fraud seems like it could do it for them.

That's how low we've sunk. :(

[Freedomfried]

14. I visited their creamery in Brennum,

Got free samples after the tour,

ummmmmmmm!

[EFerrari]

15. I did, too! Maybe in'97. Lovely counry. n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. Calm down

Seriously...

[Gothmog]

5. Money to be made on these lawsuits

Qui Tam lawsuits usually provide for the winning lawfirm to get its legal fees paid. This is not surprising.

[MADem]

6. They are showing a similar ad in the Boston markets

It basically says if you have PROOF of Government Fraud, call us at blah blah blah... they make it clear that you have to have the proof, not a suspicion. They aren't investigatory in their approach, they just want slam dunks...

[elehhhhna]

7. BULLY FOR THEM!~

[Nothing Without Hope]

11. without investigation, they're ambulance-chasers IMO. Investigation is

needed to put the pieces together from multiple witnesses and extensive domumentation.

[EVDebs]

12. Triple damages awards to whistleblowers FalseClaimsAct is incentive

and the law firm gets a huge amount of that...but is the whistleblower protected ? Bush & co. are busy stripping whistleblowers of protections as we speak.

http://www.taf.org/whyfca.htm

"Under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, those who knowingly submit, or cause another person or entity to submit, false claims for payment of government funds are liable for three times the government’s damages plus civil penalties of $5,500 to $11,000 per false claim....

The False Claims Act contains qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions. Qui tam is a unique mechanism in the law that allows citizens with evidence of fraud against government contracts and programs to sue, on behalf of the government, in order to recover the stolen funds. In compensation for the risk and effort of filing a qui tam case, the citizen whistleblower or "relator" may be awarded a portion of the funds recovered, typically between 15 and 25 percent. A qui tam suit initially remains under seal for at least 60 days during which the Department of Justice can investigate and decide whether to join the action"

Hmmm. I wonder if the unconstitutional funding of military ops in an illegal war being reported by military insiders and 'those insiders' in the know, would that information get to Rep Marcy Kaptur in time to let those whistleblowers on the Iraq War receive 'safe harbor' ?

[rateyes]

13. Speaking of Houston and corruption and governmental abuse...

Let's see:

G.H.W. Bush, home in Houston.
Tom DeLay--Houston.
W.--Close to Houston. Rumored that Harris Co. Court put him under house arrest for drug-conviction and sealed the records.
Enron--Kenny Boy Lay--Houston
Southern Baptist Takeover began in Houston with a judge down there named Paul Pressler---good friend of G.H.W. and W. Bush.

Found written on a bathroom wall in Houston when W. was governor of TX.---If you voted for Bush, you can't s*&t here, because your asshole is in Austin.

No offense to Houston Democrats, but you all need to get on the ball and clean that place up. It's crawling with pukes.

[lostnfound]

16. Haven't seen it but how would a person know it's not a trap?

Just a question.