Bill Introduced to Give Department of Justice Supplementary Funds to Fight Fraud

Senators Charles Grassey (Republican – Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (Democrat – Vermont) have introduced a bill to fellow members of the Senate Judiciary Committee which, if passed, would redirect a fraction of the money recovered through fraud cases back into the Justice Department to help with their anti-fraud enforcement activities. Currently, the Justice Department is able to retain 3% of False Claims recoveries for their agency-wide expenditures and their working capital fund. This particular bill would permit approximately $15 million, or .5%, of additional funds per year to help the Justice Department combat fraud. An accountability clause was also introduced which would cap the amount collected annually that can be carried over to succeeding years and would also require the department to report annually on the departments working capital fund. In addition, the legislation would require that the Attorney General also submit a report on every False Claims Act settlement in the given fiscal year.

For more information see: http://www.mainjustice.com/justanticorruption/2011/05/05/leahy-and-grassley-introduce-bill-to-give-doj-additional-funds-to-fight-fraud/