Heir to Chicago political dynasty brings his “false statement” charges to Supreme Court

Heir to Chicago political dynasty brings his “false statement” charges to Supreme Court

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear the case of a former Chicago alderman, who served four months in a federal prison for lying to federal financial regulators about loans he took out from a local bank and failed to pay. Patrick Daley Thompson, a member of the city’s most famous political dynasty, hopes that his case will be the latest in a series of cases in which the justices push back against what a majority of the court … Read the rest

Illinois Federal Court Dismisses One False Advertising Suit Based on Malic Acid, While Sustaining Another

A pair of malic acid decisions recently issued by Judge Coleman in the Northern District Court of Illinois reaffirmed that the statements “natural flavors with other natural flavors” and “no artificial flavors” receive different treatment under state false advertising laws, at least in that district.

In Boss v. Kraft Heinz Co., the plaintiffs alleged that Kraft Heinz’s MiO water-flavoring products contained synthetic malic acid, rendering false and misleading the claim “natural flavors with other natural flavors” on the products’ … Read the rest

Relist-palooza: Religious exercise, the False Claims Act, takings clause, RICO, bank secrecy, and more

Relist-palooza: Religious exercise, the False Claims Act, takings clause, RICO, bank secrecy, and more

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The Relist Watch column examines cert petitions that the Supreme Court has “relisted” for its upcoming conference. A short explanation of relists is available here.

 This Friday’s conference represents a significant date in the Supreme Court’s schedule: Based on the schedule prescribed by the court’s rules, it is the last conference at which a cert petition can be granted and the case heard during the court’s April sitting. Because it appears that sitting is mostly empty at … Read the rest

Justices probe government’s authority to dismiss False Claims Act lawsuits

Justices probe government’s authority to dismiss False Claims Act lawsuits

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The Supreme Court heard oral argument on Tuesday in the case of Dr. Jesse Polansky, a whistleblower who had filed a claim on behalf of the government under the False Claims Act’s qui tam provision. The Department of Justice had initially allowed Polansky to proceed with the lawsuit against a company he accused of causing millions of dollars in false Medicare bills to the government, but after several years of litigation sought to force dismissal of the case. At … Read the rest