United States Fifth Circuit

The qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act allowing private citizens to pursue fraudulent claims actions in the name of the federal government do not violate the constitutional separation of powers doctrine under the Take Care and Appointments Clauses.

Appellate Information

• Decided 05/25/2001
• Published 05/25/2001

Judges

• CARL E. STEWART, Circuit Judge:, Before JOLLY, HIGGINBOTHAM, DAVIS, JONES, SMITH, WIENER, BARKSDALE, EMILIO M. GARZA, DeMOSS, BENAVIDES, STEWART, PARKER, and DENNIS, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fifth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Jim M. Perdue, Sr. (argued), Jim Mac Perdue, Jr., Houston, TX, for Riley., David W. Ogden (argued), U.S. Dept. of Justice, Douglas N. Letter, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Div., App. Staff, Washington, DC, for U.S., Intervenor., L. Boyd Smith, Jr., Michael Warren Mengis, Kathryn Lynn Hays, Gary W. Eiland, Vinson & Elkins, Houston, TX, for St. Luke's Episcopal Hosp., Radovancevic and Texas Heart Institute., Solace Kirkland Southwick, Raina Spielman Newsome, Jeffrey B. McClure, Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton, Houston, TX, for Frazier and Surgical Associates of Texas, P.A., Toni B. Hunter, James C. Todd, Asst. Atty. Gen., Austin, TX, for The University of Texas Houston Health Science Center., William Joseph Boyce (argued), Warren S. Huang, Fulbright & Jaworski, Houston, TX, Martin H. Redish, Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago, IL, for Baylor College of Medicine., Brian Patrick Johnson, Hanen, Alexander, Johnson & Spalding, Houston, TX, for Massin., Leon Dayan, Bredhoff & Kaiser, Lisa R. Hovelson, Taxpayers Against Fraud, The False Claims Act Legal Center, Washington, DC, Brian Stuart Koukoutchos, Mandeville, LA, Alan Marc Shusterman, Insight Associates Inc., Chevy Chase, MD, for Taxpayers Against Fraud, The False Claims Act Legal Center, Amicus Curiae., Cathy M. Ventrell-Monsees, American Ass'n of Retired Persons, Washington, DC, for AARP, Nat. Health Law Program, Project on Government Oversight and Government Accountability Project, Amici Curiae., Dorothy Marie Siemon, Bruce B. Vignery, Michael Robert Schuster, AARP, Washington, DC, for AARP. Amicus Curiae., James B. Helmer, Jr., Frederick Mason Morgan, Jr., Helmer, Martins & Morgan, Cincinnati, OH, for National Employment Lawyers Ass'n, Amicus Curiae., Paul D. Kamenar, Daniel J. Popeo, Washington Legal Foundation, Washington, DC, Evan Slavitt, Lisa Tucker McElroy, Gadsy & Hannah, Boston, MA, for Washington Legal Foundation, Amicus Curiae., Donald Baxter Craven, David Thomas Deal, Washington, DC, Robin S. Conrad, Nat. Chamber Litigation Ctr., Alan I. Horowitz, Clarence T. Kipps, Miller & Chevalier Chartered, Washington, DC, for Chamber of Commerce of the U.S. and American Petroleum Institute, Amici Curiae., Mark R. Troy, McKenna & Cuneo, Los Angeles, CA, for Chamber of Commerce of U.S., Aerospace Industries Ass'n of America, American Hosp. Ass'n, Electronic Industries Alliance, Nat. Defense Industrial Ass'n and Professional Services Council, Amici Curiae., Stephen P. Murphy, Reed, Smith, Shaw & McClay, Washington, DC, for American Health Care Ass'n (AHCA), Amicus Curiae., Ray M. Aragon, C. Stanley Dees, McKenna & Cuneo, Washington, DC, Herbert L. Fenster, McKenna & Cuneo, Denver, CO, Barbara Jean Bacon, McKenna & Cuneo, Los Angeles, CA, Gregory Thomas Jaeger, McKenna & Cuneo, Arlington, VA, for Aerospace Industries Ass'n of America, American Hosp. Ass'n, Electronic Industries Alliance, Nat. Defense Industrial Ass'n and Professional Services Council, Amici Curiae., Jack R. Bierig, Sidley & Austin, Chicago, IL, Andrew E. Weis, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Washington, DC, for American Medical Ass'n and the Ass'n of American Medical Colleges, Amici Curiae., David John Schenck, Bert Black, Hyoung Esther Cochran, Hughes & Luce, Dallas, TX, for National Ass'n of Manufacturers and American Ins. Ass'n, Amici Curiae., Walter E. Dellinger, Jonathan D. Hacker, O'Melveny & Myers, Washington, DC, for Federation of American Health Systems, Amicus Curiae., Laura Jean Oberbroeckling, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, Washington, DC, for American Clinical Laboratory Ass'n (ACLA), Amicus Curiae., Donald B. Ayer, Gregory G. Katsas, John B. Kennedy, Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, Washington, DC, Melanie P. Sarwal, Austin, TX, for FMC Corp., Amicus Curiae.