Feds Intervene in False Claims Suit Against Symantec

Posted: 07/25/2014  browse the blog archive
Feds Intervene in False Claims Suit Against Symantec

The United States government has elected to intervene in a lawsuit against Symantec Corporation, alleging that Symantec knowing submitted or caused the submission of false claims on a General Services Administration software contract, the U.S. Department of Justice announced earlier this week.

Symantec entered into a Multiple Award Schedule contract with GSA that allowed Symantec to sell software and related items directly to federal purchasers.  The case alleges that Symantec knowingly provided the United States with inaccurate and incomplete information about the prices it was offering to its commercial customers during the negotiation and performance of the contract, which GSA used to negotiate the minimum discounts Symantec was required to provide government agencies.  In addition, the contract required Symantec to update GSA when commercial discounts improved and extend the same improved discounts to government purchasers.  Symantec allegedly misrepresented its true commercial sales practices, ultimately leading to government customers receiving discounts far inferior to those Symantec gave to its commercial non-government customers.

The lawsuit was originally filed by an unnamed whistleblower under the qui tam provision of the False Claims Act.  The Act allows private parties with knowledge of fraud against the government to sue on behalf of the government and share in the recovery.  The government may intervene, which it has elected to do in this case.

The Chanler Group, in association with the Hirst Law Group, represents whistleblowers who take action under the False Claims Act to report fraud committed against the federal and state governments.  We have years of experience representing whistleblower clients who expose every kind of fraud against the government, including health care fraud, contract fraud, and tax fraud.  Read more about our expertise in False Claims Act cases and how you can take action.