Furchak’s suit was what is known as a qui tam, brought under the False Claims Act. In cases of this kind, a whistleblower alleges fraud against the taxpayer and sues on behalf of the government. The term qui tam is an abbreviation of a Latin phrase describing a legal action brought by a person “who sues for the king as well as for himself.” The Department of Justice reviews each qui tam, and if it chooses to “intervene” in the action, it joins forces with the whistleblower—referred to as the relator—and takes the lead role in pursuing the case.
