On September 9, 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) to implement COVID safety protocols for Federal service contractors. While the EO did not identify specific safety protocols, it did direct a Federal task force (the “Safer Federal Workforce Task Force,” created by Executive Order in January 2021) to issue COVID-19-related workplace safety guidance
COVID-19 Oversight and Enforcement
COVID-19 Enforcement Actions Tracker
The U.S. government has prioritized oversight and enforcement of cases related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sheppard Mullin’s COVID-19 Oversight & Enforcement Response Team is tracking new federal enforcement actions related to the COVID-19 in areas including fraud under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability Act (CARES Act) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), hoarding and…
COVID-19 Enforcement Trends in 2020 and Their Implications for 2021
A year after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S., it remains to be seen how the Biden Administration will approach enforcement against businesses who received pandemic relief through the CARES Act and other federal spending packages. Nonetheless, patterns of enforcement related to pandemic assistance in 2020 may provide insight into potential enforcement trends in 2021.…
COVID-19 Enforcement Trends: March – August 2020
By Matthew Lin & Nikole Snyder
Sheppard Mullin’s COVID-19 Oversight and Enforcement Response Team has tracked civil and criminal federal enforcement actions around the country since the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) in March 2020. New cases are noted in our COVID-19 Enforcement Actions Tracker. These cases illustrate the federal government’s interest…
Big Data: The Next Frontier in CARES Act Fraud Detection
In an effort to combat the devastating economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, authorizing $2.2 trillion in relief—the largest stimulus package in American history. Unsurprisingly, given the magnitude of the package, the Government early on expressed a commitment to aggressively investigate and prosecute any…
COVID-19 Oversight & Enforcement Response Team
Sheppard Mullin’s COVID-19 Oversight & Enforcement Response Team is dedicated to helping clients navigate the multi-faceted scrutiny resulting from the government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Stability Act (CARES Act) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) oversight and enforcement. Our team draws on our experience with agency oversight, investigations, and enforcement actions to help our clients…
U.S. Government Assistance In Response To COVID-19: Investigations Are Coming
As the United States continues to suffer under the pandemic of COVID-19, its government has tried to ease the economic suffering by offering various forms of financial assistance to companies. Congress has passed a series of laws for this purpose, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. The CARES Act…
President Of Medical Technology Company Charged For Promoting Fake COVID-19 Treatment
By Matthew Lin
Last week, the Department of Justice charged the president of a medical technology company for acts related to promoting a fake COVID-19 test. The case demonstrates the government’s vigilance in prosecuting COVID-19-related fraud, and warns all businesses to avoid making misrepresentations when responding to COVID-19.
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Materiality Concerns For Cares Act Enforcement Cases
With the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) decision to drop charges against Michael Flynn, materiality has come to the forefront of popular legal discourse. At the same time, prosecutors and whistleblowers will carefully consider enforcement/false claims actions against entities who may have wrongfully received relief funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Stability Act (CARES…
Small Business Money Grab Under the Paycheck Protection Program Brings Enforcement Risks
By Matthew Lin & Scott Roybal
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provides a glimmer of hope to small businesses struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, providing hundreds of billions in funding to assist small businesses impacted by the pandemic. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs, including the PPP under the CARES Act, are only available to qualifying businesses that…
Webinar Recap: Risks of Enforcement Under the CARES Act
Recipients of CARES Act funds must guard against the oncoming wave of enforcement actions. Making misrepresentations to the government when receiving relief funds may lead to severe criminal and/or civil liability. To minimize these risk, businesses should stay informed about regulatory developments related to COVID-19 and carefully review all conditions of payment before requesting and…
Guard Against Enforcement Actions Under the CARES Act
By Scott Roybal & Matthew Lin
The federal government has rolled out trillions of dollars in aid through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). As past is often prologue, we expect this new round of massive government spending to someday be subjected to strict government oversight, audits and investigations, and whistleblowers searching for potential fraud, waste and…