Hoyer Law Group, PLLC, is pleased to announce the $500,000 settlement of a case brought on behalf of whistleblower Christine Kibler. Hoyer Law Group founding partner Jesse Hoyer Estes had the privilege of representing Ms. Kibler when she courageously came forward to expose the fraud she observed at Dover Air Force Base during her time as a Community Director for Hunt Companies.
Ms. Kibler’s qui tam lawsuit alleged that Hunt, one of the largest providers of privatized military housing to the U.S. Armed Forces, took egregious actions involving incentivized payments to Hunt employees for work on military housing at Dover that was never completed. During the first days of her employment, Ms. Kibler noticed mold, fire safety issues, ventilation issues, and water leaks in the housing on the base. She immediately informed her superiors who quickly terminated her because she was “not a good fit.”
“The men and women who live in military housing deserve prompt and professional maintenance service from companies such as Hunt. It’s despicable to see a company fail to deliver these services and falsify information to line their own pockets with taxpayer dollars,” said Jesse Hoyer Estes.
Ms. Kibler’s case arose under the False Claims Act, which allows individuals who observe taxpayer fraud to file whistleblower cases under seal as “relators.” After a False Claims Act case is filed, the United States has an opportunity to investigate a relator’s claims to decide whether to pursue the case. In the event of a resolution, the whistleblower is entitled to a 10 to 30% share of the Government’s recovery.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware is committed to fighting for the wellbeing of our service members and their families, especially those stationed at Dover Air Force Base,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss. “When companies put service members’ welfare at risk to maximize profit, they cheat the Government as well as everyone who serves our country. We will not tolerate such disappointing conduct.”
Hoyer Law Group would like to thank David C. Weiss, Jesse Wenger, and Shamoor Anis from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware for all of their hard work in bringing this case to resolution.
Hoyer Law Group has offices in Florida, Washington, D.C., and Michigan. The firm specializes in False Claims Act, employment, and business litigation.
