Defense Contractor Fraud
The United States spends nearly $600 billion every year on defense. A significant portion of our defense budget is spent on goods and services provided by defense contractors.
A defense contractor is a business or organization that bids on contracts from the government to manufacture goods or provide services for the military and/or the Department of Defense. In some cases, defense contractors are also referred to as military contractors because all or most of their business comes from providing goods or services to the military.
Defense contractors manufacture weapons, aircraft, ships, vehicles and specialized electronic systems. They also provide important services, including logistics, technical training and support, intelligence, engineering, consulting, maintenance, security management and specialized private military services. According to a report prepared for Congress by the Congressional Research Service, defense contractors made up more than half of the Department of Defense’s total workforce during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Some of the largest defense contractors include:
- Boeing
- Lockheed Martin
- Northrop Grumman
- General Dynamics
- Raytheon
- United Technologies Corp.
- BAE Systems
- L-3 Communications
Defense Contractor Fraud and the Whistleblower
Defense contractor fraud occurs when defense contractors submit false claims about the products they manufacture or the services they provide the government. There are a number of different ways in which defense companies can cheat the government.
Often, when a company is guilty of defense contractor fraud, they are guilty of multiple types of fraud. In many cases, whistleblowers bring fraud allegations to the government’s attention.
Every year, defense contractors are hit with whistleblower lawsuits alleging millions in fraud and abuse, making the industry one of the biggest targets of false claims litigation under the False Claims Act. Over just one three-week period in 2014, the Department of Justice received nearly $25 million in the settlement of three False Claims Act (FCA) actions—all of them involving defense contractor fraud. A brief summary of these actions illustrates the broad nature of defense contractor fraud, as well as the importance of the whistleblower in exposing FCA violations.
- A shipyard in Florida paid $1 million to resolve FCA allegations that it created a front company in order to be awarded contracts meant for disabled veteran owned businesses. The allegations were originally filed in a lawsuit by two whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. They received $180,000 as an award.
- A company in Colorado that makes antenna and radio systems paid $10 million to resolve allegations that it violated the FCA by submitting inflated claims for electronic warfare antennas sold to the U.S. Army to combat Improvised Explosive Devices.
- A company that designs, operates and maintains satellite and wireless network solutions and telecommunications services and security systems, paid $13.7 million to resolve allegations that it overbilled the government for services and supplies to be provided to the Army’s Communication and Electronics Command in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to the Coast Guard for aircraft maintenance.
What Can You Do to Stop Defense Contractor Fraud?
Defense companies who commit fraud are stealing taxpayer dollars that fund our nation’s defense. These greed-driven fraud schemes put the lives of our military servicemen and women at risk and undermine our nation’s security. As a whistleblower, you can help put a stop to defense contractor fraud by exposing these corrupt companies.
The False Claims Act states that a whistleblower can file a lawsuit on behalf of the United States if they have original information about a company making false claims to defraud the government. Qui tam lawsuits filed by whistleblowers have recovered billions of taxpayer dollars from defense contractors who submitted false claims in order to cheat the government. In one of the largest defense contractor fraud settlements in history, a whistleblower filed a false claims lawsuit against a company that allegedly failed to disclose information on the failure of electrical components the company had sold to the United States for use in defense satellites. The company paid $325 million to settle the claims and the whistleblower received a $48.8 million award.
If you have information that a government contractor is committing fraud, you may be entitled to a reward. Federal false claims cases often result in large multi-million dollar settlements and, in order to encourage people to come forward with information about fraud, the government offers whistleblower rewards up to 25 percent of the total amount recovered in a successful enforcement action. Expert legal assistance can protect your rights, give you the best chance of a successful outcome and can maximize the size of your reward.
Please contact the Wisner Baum whistleblower team if you are considering taking legal action.
-
Whistleblower Settlement $18 Million
$18 million settlement for Boeing government overcharging on aircraft maintenance
-
Whistleblower Settlement $8.5 Million
-
Whistleblower Settlement $8.5 Million
-
Whistleblower Settlement $6.5 Million
-
Whistleblower Settlement $1.2 Million
-
Whistleblower Settlement $1.3 Million


-
A ranking in The U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” is widely regarded by both client and legal professionals as a significant honor. It is considered the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere.
-
Wisner Baum is proud to be a sponsor of The Truck Safety Coalition, a a group of caring individuals dedicated to reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by truck-related crashes. Our support enables them to help families and save lives.
-
Law360 recognizes law firms that have a strong regional presence, working on important matters within their home state. “[Wisner Baum] possesses a David v. Goliath-sized slingshot while seeking justice for everyday citizens it believes were harmed or killed through corporate wrongdoing.”
-
NLJ and American Lawyer Media honor law firms and attorneys as Elite Trial Lawyers for their cutting-edge legal work on behalf of plaintiffs in practice areas ranging from mass torts to securities litigation.
-
Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. A listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers.
-
Less than one-half of one percent of firms across the nation have achieved this ranking. A firm must have a high percentage of lawyers who have achieved the prestigious AV® Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell®.
-
The National Law Journal inducted Wisner Baum into the Verdicts Hall of Fame for obtaining the $2 billion landmark verdict in the Roundup cancer case of Pilliod et al. v. Monsanto. The verdict was #1 in California and #2 in the U.S. in 2019 and is #9 in American history.
-
Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
-
The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 recognized the law firms of Wisner Baum, the Miller Firm and Audet & Partners with the 2019 Trial Team of the Year award (in the Mass Torts category) for their work in the groundbreaking case of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson v. Monsanto Company.
-
An AV® rating reflects an attorney who has reached the heights of professional excellence. The rating signifies the highest legal ability, and very high adherence to professional standards of conduct, ethics, reliability, and diligence.
-
Wisner Baum is proud to have all of its lawyers listed in Avvo, a legal directory connecting people in need of legal services with lawyers and connecting lawyers to lawyers. Eight of our attorneys have earned a 10.0 perfect rating with Avvo.
-
CA and USATopVerdict.com ranks our $2 billion verdict in Pilliod et al. v. Monsanto as the biggest verdict in California and the second largest verdict in the U.S. in 2019. It is the ninth largest verdict in U.S. history.
-
Published annually, the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers list recognizes the “best of the best” in this area of the law through nominations, research, and review by a board of their peers.
-
In 2020, Law360 honored the law firms ”behind the litigation wins and major deals that resonated throughout the legal industry.” It recognized our success in several landmark cases.
-
In 2018, our $289 million Johnson v. Monsanto verdict was the largest personal injury verdict in California. TopVerdict.com also ranked it #2 among all verdicts in California and #10 in the nation.
-
The Bar Register is the definitive guide to the most distinguished law firms in America. It includes only those select law practices that have earned the highest rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and have been designated by their colleagues as preeminent in their field.

Firm Reviews
What Our Clients Are Saying
-
I Can’t Imagine a Better Law Firm
“Multiple lawyers recommended Wisner Baum to me and I have been consistently impressed with the quality of their work.”
- Best Law Firms Survey -
They Are About Changing the Systems...
“Wisner Baum are not only amazing attorneys but more importantly, they are activists. They are about changing the systems which got us into trouble in the first place. They understand their role in the process of making change.”
- Kim Witczak -
Top Legal Minds in the Country
“The Wisner Baum firm has some of the top legal minds in the country; they are driven, determined, trustworthy, ethical and passionate.”
- From Best Lawyers® Best Law Firms -
Diligent & Professional Representation
“Thanks to your efforts I was able to recover from a tragic experience and turn my life around for the best.”
- W.T. -
Our Best Interest Was Always Number One on Your List
“A special thank you to your Spanish-speaking staff for the extra effort put into this case. The language barrier was never a problem, and we are so very thankful to them. Your name holds much respect in our family.”
- G.C. & C.C