This is the first in a series of client alerts addressing the likely role of the False Claims Act in the wake of the massive federal government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 20, 2020, the Department of Justice announced that Attorney General William Barr had directed all US Attorneys to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of coronavirus-related frauds. A week later, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a $2 trillion stimulus package - the largest in American history - that will make available hundreds of billions of dollars in loans and other financial assistance to distressed companies.