{"id":1542742,"date":"2022-07-07T09:20:57","date_gmt":"2022-07-07T13:20:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1542742"},"modified":"2022-07-07T09:21:01","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T13:21:01","slug":"pfizer-asks-court-to-dismiss-whistleblower-lawsuit-because-government-was-aware-of-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pfizer-asks-court-to-dismiss-whistleblower-lawsuit-because-government-was-aware-of-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"Pfizer Asks Court to Dismiss Whistleblower Lawsuit Because Government Was Aware of Fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpfizer-asks-court-to-dismiss-whistleblower-lawsuit-because-government-was-aware-of-fraud%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1542742&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p><em>The lawyer representing whistleblower Brook Jackson said Pfizer is arguing the court should dismiss Jackson\u2019s lawsuit alleging fraud in Pfizer\u2019s COVID-19 clinical trials because the U.S. government knew about the wrongdoings but continued to do business with the vaccine maker.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/s3.documentcloud.org\/documents\/21206098\/exhibits-in-jackson-lawsuit.pdf\">lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0filed by whistleblower Brook Jackson alleging Pfizer and two of its contractors manipulated data and committed other\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/childrenshealthdefense.org\/defender\/judge-evidence-pfizer-whistleblower-lawsuit\/\">acts of fraud<\/a>\u00a0during Pfizer\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/childrenshealthdefense.org\/defender_category\/covid\/\">COVID-19<\/a>\u00a0clinical trials is paused following a motion by the defendants to dismiss the case.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with The Defender, Jackson\u2019s lawyer said Pfizer argued the lawsuit, which was filed under the False Claims Act, should be dismissed because the U.S. government knew of the wrongdoings in the clinical trials but continued to do business with the vaccine maker.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whistleblowers.org\/protect-the-false-claims-act\/\">Under the False Claims Act<\/a>, whistleblowers can be rewarded for confidentially disclosing fraud that results in a financial loss to the federal government.<\/p>\n<p>However, a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/15pdf\/15-7_a074.pdf\">decision<\/a>\u00a0that expanded the scope of a legal principle known as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/wex\/materiality\">materiality<\/a>\u201d resulted in a series of federal court decisions in which fraud cases brought under the False Claims Act were dismissed.<\/p>\n<p>As<a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2021\/11\/29\/pfizer-whistleblower-reform-corporate-fraud\/\">\u00a0interpreted<\/a>\u00a0by the Supreme Court, if the government continued paying a contractor despite the contractor\u2019s fraudulent activity, the fraud was not considered \u201cmaterial\u201d to the contract.<\/p>\n<p>Pfizer is a federal contractor because it signed\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/healthcare-pharmaceuticals\/pfizer-signs-32-bln-deal-with-us-government-covid-vaccine-doses-2022-06-29\/\">multiple contracts<\/a>\u00a0with the U.S. government to provide COVID-19 vaccines and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/childrenshealthdefense.org\/defender\/bidens-test-to-treat-windfall-pfizer-merck\/\">Paxlovid<\/a>, a pill used to treat the virus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPfizer claims they can get away with fraud as long as the government would write them a check despite knowing about the fraud,\u201d attorney Robert Barnes said.<\/p>\n<p>The other two defendants in the case are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ventaviaresearch.com\/\">Ventavia Research Group<\/a>, which conducted vaccine trials on behalf of Pfizer, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iconplc.com\/\">ICON PLC<\/a>, also a Pfizer contractor.<\/p>\n<p>In an attempt to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2021\/11\/29\/pfizer-whistleblower-reform-corporate-fraud\/\">strengthen<\/a>\u00a0the False Claims Act\u2019s anti-retaliation provisions and install new safeguards against industry-level blacklisting of whistleblowers seeking employment, Congress in July 2021 introduced the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/117th-congress\/senate-bill\/2428\">False Claims Amendments Act of 2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In December 2021, Pfizer\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/childrenshealthdefense.org\/defender\/pfizer-big-pharma-lobbying-law-protecting-whistleblowers\/\">hired<\/a>\u00a0a well-connected lobbyist,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/revolving\/rev_summary.php?id=33425\">\u00a0Hazen Marshall<\/a>, and the law firm Williams &#038; Jensen to lobby against the bill.<\/p>\n<p>Pfizer previously was heavily fined in connection with the False Claims Act. As part of a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-announces-largest-health-care-fraud-settlement-its-history\">2009 settlement<\/a>, the company paid $2.3 billion in fines \u2014 the largest healthcare fraud settlement in the history of the U.S. Department of Justice \u2014 stemming from allegations of illegal marketing of off-label products not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPfizer, one of the most\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/legalblogs\/criminal-defense\/pfizer-hit-with-largest-criminal-fine-in-us-history\/\">criminally fined<\/a>\u00a0drug companies in the world, wants to weaken the laws that hold them accountable,\u201d Barnes told The Defender.<\/p>\n<p>Congress has taken\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/117th-congress\/senate-bill\/2428\">no action<\/a>\u00a0on the False Claims Amendments Act since November 2021, when the bill was added to the Senate\u2019s legislative calendar.<\/p>\n<p>Barnes said the outcome of Jackson\u2019s case against Pfizer is significant not just for his client, but also for the American public.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis case will determine if\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/childrenshealthdefense.org\/defender_category\/big-pharma\/\">Big Pharma<\/a>\u00a0can rip off the American people using a dangerous drug that harms millions without any legal remedy because they claim the government was in on the scam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jackson was a regional director for Ventavia for a brief period in 2020 but\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/375\/bmj.n2635\">was fired<\/a>\u00a0after she notified the FDA about issues with Pfizer\u2019s vaccine trials.<\/p>\n<p>After she was fired, she gave<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/375\/bmj.n2635\">\u00a0The BMJ<\/a>\u00a0a cache of internal company documents, photos and recordings highlighting the alleged wrongdoing by Ventavia.<\/p>\n<p>The documents she provided contained evidence of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/childrenshealthdefense.org\/defender\/jimmy-dore-brook-jackson-pfizer-covid-vaccine-trial\/\">falsified data<\/a>, blind trial failures and awareness on the part of at least one Ventavia executive that members of the company\u2019s staff were \u201cfalsifying data.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jackson\u2019s documents also provided<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/mkt_app\/exclusive-pfizer-trial-whistleblower-presses-forward-with-lawsuit-without-us-governments-help_4277153.html?utm_source=mr_recommendation&#038;utm_medium=left_sticky\">\u00a0evidence<\/a>\u00a0of administrators who had \u201cno training\u201d or medical certifications, or who provided \u201cvery little oversight\u201d during the trials.<\/p>\n<p>Jackson<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/mkt_app\/exclusive-pfizer-trial-whistleblower-presses-forward-with-lawsuit-without-us-governments-help_4277153.html?utm_source=mr_recommendation&#038;utm_medium=left_sticky\">\u00a0filed<\/a>\u00a0her complaint in August 2021, in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont Division, alleging Pfizer, Ventavia and ICON \u201cdeliberately withheld crucial information from the United States that calls the safety and efficacy of their vaccine into question.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A district court judge in February\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/childrenshealthdefense.org\/defender\/judge-evidence-pfizer-whistleblower-lawsuit\/\">unsealed<\/a>\u00a0Jackson\u2019s complaint, which included\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/s3.documentcloud.org\/documents\/21207246\/exhibits-in-jackson-v-ventavia.pdf\">400<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/s3.documentcloud.org\/documents\/21206098\/exhibits-in-jackson-lawsuit.pdf\">\u00a0pages<\/a>\u00a0of<a href=\"https:\/\/s3.documentcloud.org\/documents\/21206099\/exhibits-in-brook-jackson-lawsuit.pdf\">\u00a0exhibits<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to the complaint, Jackson, who had more than<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/375\/bmj.n2635\">\u00a015 years<\/a>\u00a0of experience working with clinical trials, \u201crepeatedly<a href=\"https:\/\/childrenshealthdefense.org\/defender\/jimmy-dore-brook-jackson-pfizer-covid-vaccine-trial\/\">\u00a0informed<\/a>\u00a0her superiors of poor laboratory management, patient safety concerns and data integrity issues\u201d during the approximately two weeks she was employed by Ventavia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBrook [Jackson] brought a Qui Tam action and a retaliatory discharge case against Pfizer and others for fraud on the people concerning Pfizer\u2019s false certifications to the U.S. Department of Defense about the safety and efficacy of their COVID-19 vaccine,\u201d Barnes said.<\/p>\n<p>A Qui Tam case\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whistleblowers.org\/faq\/false-claims-act-qui-tam\/\">refers to<\/a>\u00a0a provision under the False Claims Act that allows individuals and entities with evidence of fraud against federal programs or contracts to sue the wrongdoer on behalf of the U.S. government<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe was part of the clinical trials, witnessed extraordinary malfeasance, blew the whistle, and was quickly fired after she blew the whistle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Barnes said his legal team will in August file its opposition brief to Pfizer\u2019s motion to dismiss, and the judge may rule on the motion to dismiss by fall 2022.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a907\/05\/22 Children\u2019s Health Defense, Inc. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of\u00a0Children\u2019s Health Defense, Inc. Want to learn more from\u00a0Children\u2019s Health Defense?\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/childrenshealthdefense.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sign up<\/a>\u00a0for free news and updates from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the Children\u2019s Health Defense.\u00a0Your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/childrenshealthdefense.org\/about-us\/donate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">donation<\/a>\u00a0will help to support us in our efforts.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><i>Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/submission-guidelines_4553495.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">our form here<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The lawyer representing whistleblower Brook Jackson said Pfizer is arguing the court should dismiss Jackson\u2019s lawsuit alleging fraud in Pfizer\u2019s COVID-19 clinical trials because the U.S. government knew about the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1546969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1542742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1542742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1542742"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1542742\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1546969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1542742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1542742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1542742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}