This report aired on PBS NewsHour Weekend on December 21, 2014.
Last year alone, the federal government and its whistleblowers — people incentivized by the False Claims Act to expose fraud in companies that work with the government — recovered nearly $6 billion in lawsuits that exposed wrongdoing. But some question whether the False Claims Act actually prevents fraud or merely incentivizes people with potential reward money.
Producers: Sam Weber and Saskia de Melker
Camera: Sam Weber and Saskia de Melker
Editors: Saskia de Melker and Judith Wolff
Correspondent: Rick Karr