Wisconsin Bell, Inc., Petitioner v. United States, ex rel. Todd Heath

  1. February 21, 2025

    High Court Finds FCC's E-Rate Subject To False Claims Act

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Friday that telecoms participating in the federal E-Rate program supporting school and library connectivity can be sued for excess payouts under the False Claims Act because the subsidy's funds are provided through the U.S. Treasury.

  2. January 01, 2025

    The Hottest Topics Appellate Attys Are Tracking In 2025

    Appellate lawyers in 2025 should probably stock up on coffee and expect some all-nighters — numerous high-profile appeals, a new presidential administration and a new framework for legal challenges to regulations suggest it'll be an uncommonly tumultuous trip around the sun.

  3. November 04, 2024

    High Court Questions If False Claims Act Covers FCC's E-Rate

    Multiple justices seemed unconvinced Monday that the federal government plays such a limited role in requiring companies to pay fees for supporting telecom subsidies in schools that it can't seek to recover excess payouts from the fund under the False Claims Act.

  4. November 01, 2024

    Up Next At High Court: Fed Funds And Securities Risks

    The U.S. Supreme Court will return to the bench Monday for its November arguments session, which will start off with a debate over whether the Federal Communications Commission telecom subsidy program involves federal funds subject to the False Claims Act, and on Tuesday how Medicare funding should be calculated for hospitals that serve large numbers of low-income patients.

  5. October 25, 2024

    AT&T Unit Continues To Argue FCA Does Not Apply To E-Rate

    Congress could have designed the E-rate program to be distributed by the government using its own money, but it didn't, and that's why reimbursements under the program don't qualify as claims under the False Claims Act, an AT&T subsidiary has told the U.S. Supreme Court.

  6. October 15, 2024

    Justices Let Solicitor General Argue In E-Rate Fraud Case

    The Solicitor General's Office will defend private citizens' ability to sue for E-rate fraud on behalf of the government under the False Claims Act, after the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the solicitor general's request to participate in oral arguments in an AT&T subsidiary's challenge to the law's application.

  7. October 02, 2024

    Gov't Tells Justices That E-Rate Program Is Covered By FCA

    The federal government is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to declare that E-Rate reimbursement fraud is covered by the False Claims Act because the government provides the program's funding.

  8. August 21, 2024

    Legal, Policy Orgs Urge Justices To Toss FCA Interpretation

    Two groups are defending AT&T subsidiary Wisconsin Bell Inc. in its challenge to the use of the False Claims Act for E-Rate program reimbursement fraud, telling the Supreme Court in amicus briefs Tuesday that the Seventh Circuit's ruling in the case would make the FCA's qui tam powers too expansive.

  9. August 13, 2024

    Wisconsin Bell Tells Justices FCA Doesn't Apply To E-Rate

    AT&T subsidiary Wisconsin Bell Inc. told the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday that applying the False Claims Act to fraudulent E-rate program reimbursements means turning the "heavy artillery of the administrative state" onto private transactions.

  10. June 17, 2024

    Justices To Decide If False Claims Act Applies To E-Rate

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review whether reimbursement requests made to the Federal Communications Commission's E-rate program for schools and libraries are "claims" under the False Claims Act.