March 2nd marks the 158th Anniversary of President Lincoln’s signing the False Claims Act into law. In commemoration of this, Whistleblower Network News and the National Whistleblower Center will host a free webinar on the law’s history and impact. Experts will tell the story of how the 1986 amendments turned the FCA into America’s most important tool to uncover and punish fraud.
The FCA is the oldest and most powerful whistleblower law in the world. It protects money spent by the federal government against corruption and misuse. Since the inclusion of the qui tam provision in 1986, fraud detection and prevention have risen exponentially. The FCA has long served as a powerful weapon against fraud and waste in government programs.
THE SPEAKERS:
Kris Kolesnik
Kris Kolesnik is a 34-year veteran of federal government oversight. He spent 19 years as senior counselor and director of investigations for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). Kolesnik then became executive director of the National Whistleblower Center. Finally, he spent 10 years working with the Department of the Interior’s Office of Inspector General as the associate inspector general for external affairs.
THE PRESENTERS:
Jane Turner
Kolesnik will be interviewed by FBI whistleblower Jane Turner. Turner has been a constant advocate for whistleblower rights since she exposed FBI mismanagement.
Stephen Kohn
Stephen M. Kohn, a founding partner of the qui tam whistleblower law firm Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, will introduce the event and give historical background.
John Kostyack
John Kostyack, the Executive Director of the NWC, will close the program, detailing the National Whistleblower Center’s ongoing commitment to protect the FCA against the corporate lobby’s continued attacks.
The webinar is co-sponsored by Whistleblower Network News, an independent online newspaper providing readers with up-to-date information on whistleblowing, and the National Whistleblower Center, the leading whistleblower education and advocacy nonprofit. This is the first in a series of free webinars on key whistleblower protection laws.