Allison Engine Co., Inc. v. United States ex rel. Sanders (2007)
- Docket
- 07-214
- Decided
- 2007-01-01
Summary
Question: Must whistleblower claimants prove that a private company directly presented a fraudulent bill to the government in order to prevail in a False Claims Act case? Conclusion: Yes. Writing for a unanimous Court, Justice Samuel A. Alito made clear that a plaintiff must prove more than that the false statement's use resulted in payment or approval or that Government money was used to pay the claim. Instead, a plaintiff must show that the defendant intended the false statement to be "material" to the Government's decision to pay or approve the false claim.