--- description: A Whistleblower who reported fraudulent security clearance background checks was recently awarded $6 million. title: $6M Whistleblower Award | DC Whistleblower Lawyer --- $6M Whistleblower Award | DC Whistleblower Lawyer # $6 Million Award to Whistleblower for Reporting Fraudulent Security Clearance Background Checks Last Updated: November 20, 2025 Reading Time: 3 minutes Trusted Content Legally Reviewed by Allan Siegel Updated 7 months ago [Home](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/) » [Recent Posts](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/) » $6 Million Award to Whistleblower for Reporting Fraudulent Security Clearance Background Checks What's On This Page [Case Results](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/case-results/) $35.6 Million Medical Malpractice $18.8 Million Car Crash $17.1 Million Medical Malpractice $15 Million Neck & Spine Injury $14.25 Million Class Action $6 Million Brain Injury [View All Practice Areas](https://chaikinandsherman.com/practice-areas/) [Testimonials](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/testimonials-hub/) I would never worry again if they are on the case. Tilwanda Dofat Personal Injury They held my hand through the entire process. Meraf Mitchell They paved the way for a brighter future. Sheree Whitby I’m greeted with a hug every time I come. Sheba Halliburton Personal Injury They are always was available for any of my concerns. Teresa Morring Your office has taken care of us every step. Shyama Personal Injury Contact Us Today! "*" indicates required fields Name* First Last Name* Last Email** Phone*Are you a new client?*Are you a new client? *Yes, I'm a potential new client.No, I'm a current existing client.I'm neitherCase TypeCase TypeMotor Vehicle AccidentSlip & FallAssaultMedical MalpracticeAbuseWork InjuryOtherWere You at Fault?Were You At Fault?NoYesUnknownWhere Did The Incident Occur?Where Did The Incident Occur?Washington, D.C.VirginiaMarylandOtherDid The Accident Occur In the Last Two Years?Did The Accident Occur In the Last Two Years?YesNoShare Brief Description of the Incident* The firm’s four partners discuss their litigation approach and institutional credentials — including over $1 billion recovered, Tier One Best Law Firm recognition, three partners who served as presidents of the DC Trial Lawyers Association, and two Super Lawyers Top 100 honorees. For whistleblower and qui tam clients, the firm brings the same resources, trial readiness, and willingness to confront powerful entities. Video Transcript **Speakers:** Ira Sherman, Joseph Cammarata, Stephen Ollar, Allan Siegel **Joseph Cammarata (00:01):** How do you pick the right personal injury lawyer? How do you know who to trust? This is the most important decision you’re going to make right now. The question is how do you get it right? **Allan Siegel (00:14):** For more than 50 years, we’ve gone to battle for our clients. We represent the victims of car bus and truck collisions, bike wrecks, traumatic brain injuries, and medical malpractice. We fight insurance companies, corporations, and governments at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata and Siegel. We know what it takes to win, and we’re proud of the reputation that we’ve built as advocates for the people. **Ira Sherman (00:45):** Experience matters. That’s just the truth. There’s no other way to excel for our clients other than years of hard work. We’ve dedicated our entire professional careers to this cause and what do we have to show for it? Over $1 billion in compensation for our clients. Named Tier One Best Law Firm in Personal Injury Litigation. Three partners who served as presidents of the metropolitan DC Trial Lawyers Association and justice for tens of thousands of clients. **Stephen Ollar (01:22):** Needing a lawyer and finding one can be a scary and overwhelming process. We strive to take the fear and uncertainty out of that process, unlike other firms. When you call our firm, you will always speak with an attorney about your case. As a former staff sergeant in the United States Army, I know what it means to serve and we serve our clients by providing unmatched representation and the expertise to win cases. **Joseph Cammarata (01:50):** Our firm’s mission has always been to represent people from every walk of life, young, old, rich, poor, large cases. In the small ones that comes from our founder, Donald Chaikin. I will never forget what he would tell people. He would say, we fight for those you love. **Allan Siegel (02:09):** We are local and national leaders in the personal injury field. There are not many law firms that have our combination of awards and achievements. We have two trial lawyers recognized in the Super Lawyer’s Top 100 list. Ira Sherman served on the board of the Brain Injury Association of America for many years. Joe Cammarata is a past chair of the AAJ Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, and I recently served as the chair of AAJ’s bus litigation group. Look, if people come in, the world **Ira Sherman (02:40):** is turned upside down. They don’t know where to turn next. When you hire us, we’re going to be doing all we can to obtain justice on your behalf. You just got one thing to do, which is to get **Allan Siegel (02:53):** better. We are Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata and Siegel. Personal Injury Attorneys in Washington, DC. The government recently[ awarded a whistleblower ](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/2009/09/whistleblower-gets-51-5-million/)$6 million for reporting his employer for providing deficient security background checks for federal agencies. Blake Percival was working for USIS, the government’s largest supplier of security clearance background checks, when he refused to condone an alleged internal company practice known as “dumping” or “flushing.” This fraudulent practice involved certifying background investigations as complete to the Office of Personnel Management, when the background investigation was partially or totally unfinished. USIS employees told Percival, who was a USIS manager in a Pennsylvania office, that cases were not getting reviewed because the company was setting unreachable performance targets. When some background checks were partly or totally incomplete, the files were certified to the federal government as complete so that USIS could meet incentivized performance targets. This practice was called “dumping” or “flushing” files by USIS. Percival insisted that employees in his office complete reviews and when his office failed to meet USIS goals, he said he was terminated. According to the Washington Post, when he was about to sign a severance agreement, he noticed some language about the False Claims Act and called a lawyer friend who told him not to sign. He[ hired a whistleblower lawyer ](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/2016/03/whistleblower-awards-depend-on-a-variety-of-factors/)and filed a qui tam lawsuit shortly thereafter. According to Percival’s complaint, USIS circumvented quality control procedures for background checks that were required under its contract with the federal government. The federal government made payments to USIS that it would not have if it were known that the background checks were incomplete. According to the lawsuit, approximately 665,000 cases were dumped between 2008 and 2012 and included background checks on employees for a wide array of federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the DOJ, Homeland Security, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. USIS, which was based in Falls Church, Virginia, is infamous for performing the background checks on Edward Snowden and the Navy Yard gunman Aaron Alexis. Companies that provide goods and services to the federal government are legally required to provide what they promised to provide. Companies that provide substandard or inadequate goods and services, but still invoice the government as if they provided full-quality goods and services are liable under the False Claims Act. Individuals who have knowledge of such fraud can work with a whistleblower attorney (the False Claims Act requires legal representation by counsel) to file a complaint and may receive between 15 and 30 percent of any subsequent recovery. Percival’s share in the USIS case was 20 percent.[ A whistleblower’s share](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/2013/10/whistleblower-receives-14-million-from-sec/) can be affected by a variety of factors, such as the quality of the whistleblower’s information and whether the whistleblower personally contributed to the fraud. In this case, Percival’s award was contested by then-House Oversight Committee Chair Darrell Issa, who alleged during a February 2014 hearing that Percival was tipped off by a letter from the Federal Investigative Services regarding OPM’s belief that USIS background checks were incomplete. Rep. Issa requested that the Judiciary Committee and the Department of Justice evaluate the validity of Percival’s lawsuit. Percival’s $6 million award appears to put this matter to rest. At Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., our team of experienced litigators provide legal representation for [whistleblowers](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/whistleblower-cases/) who allege fraudulent invoicing to the government by private contractors. If you have knowledge and documents substantiating a claim that a private company is providing goods and services to the government at less than the contracted-for quality, please contact us today. The False Claims Act includes a “first to file” rule, which can mean that only the first whistleblower to promptly report a certain fraudulent activity will receive a [cash award](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/whistleblower-cases/whistleblower-cash-award-program/). Because of this requirement, we recommend [contacting us](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/contact-us/) at your earliest convenience if you have information that could lead to a whistleblower case. ## Get free advice about the compensation you deserve. At Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., our car accident attorneys fight tirelessly to secure the compensation you deserve, handling every aspect of your case to protect your rights. Trust us to stand by you and advocate aggressively on your behalf. Speak to a Specialist Visit Us in Person 1232 17th St NW Washington, DC 20036 The whistleblower and qui tam attorneys at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. represent individuals who report fraud against the federal government in cases involving [qui tam False Claims Act actions](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/whistleblower-cases/qui-tam/), [health care fraud](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/whistleblower-cases/health-care-fraud/), [Medicare and Medicaid fraud](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/whistleblower-cases/medicare-medicaid-fraud/), [government contractor fraud](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/whistleblower-cases/government-contractor-fraud/), and [Anti-Kickback Statute violations](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/whistleblower-cases/anti-kickback-statute/), with full guidance on [whistleblower protections](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/whistleblower-cases/whistleblower-protections/) and [retaliation claims](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/whistleblower-cases/can-my-employer-retaliate/) for those considering coming forward. Top 10 Mistakes Made After an Accident Review these common auto accident mistakes to protect your rights. READ OUR E-BOOK Meet Our Team Learn More About Us Ira Sherman Partner Licensed in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and New York With over four decades of courtroom experience, **Ira Sherman** is a powerhouse trial lawyer who has won justice for countless victims of serious injury, discrimination, and medical malpractice. Known for his relentless advocacy, compassion, and proven results, he’s the attorney clients trust when everything is on the line. Ira Sherman's Bio Joseph Cammarata Partner Licensed in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia A dual board-certified civil trial attorney, **Joseph Cammarata** is nationally recognized for his fierce advocacy, landmark legal victories, and relentless pursuit of justice for victims of serious injury, wrongful death, sexual assault, and civil rights violations. With wins against powerful opponents—including a historic U.S. Supreme Court case securing equal access to justice—he’s the attorney clients trust when they need skill, strength, and results that matter. Joe Cammarata's Bio Allan M. Siegel​ Partner Licensed in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia **Allan M. Siegel** is a board-certified trial attorney and partner at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., known for securing justice in serious personal injury, brain injury, and wrongful death cases. Recognized as one of Washington’s *Top 100 Super Lawyers®* and a *Best Lawyer®* in America, he combines strategic precision, courtroom skill, and relentless advocacy to win full and fair compensation for his clients. Allan Siegel's Bio Stephen Ollar Partner Licensed in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia **Stephen Ollar** is an award-winning trial attorney and U.S. Army veteran dedicated to holding negligent individuals and corporations accountable. Recognized as a *Super Lawyers Rising Star* from 2020–2025, he’s known for his tenacity, precision, and unwavering pursuit of justice in personal injury, auto accident, and medical malpractice cases. Stephen Ollar's Bio ## Related Articles Read More Blog Articles Why You Should Have Uninsured Motorist Insurance In DC Why You Should Have Uninsured Motorist Insurance in Maryland Can My Employer Retaliate? 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Whistleblowers (called “relators” in the False Claims Act) may have difficulty in seeking a qui Read More » 04/01/2016