Supreme Court Decision Syllabus (SCOTUS Podcast)
Following what the Supreme Court is actually doing can be daunting. Reporting on the subject is often only done within the context of political narratives of the day -- and following the Court's decisions and reading every new case can be a non-starter. The purpose of this Podcast is to make it as easy as possible for members of the public to source information about what is happening at the Supreme Court. For that reason, we read every Opinion Syllabus without any commentary whatsoever. Further, there are no advertisements or sponsors. We call it "information sourcing," and we hope that the podcast is a useful resource for members of the public who want to understand the legal issues of the day, prospective law students who want to get to know legal language and understand good legal writing, and attorneys who can use the podcast to be better advocates for their clients.
*Note this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.
Supreme Court Decision Syllabus (SCOTUS Podcast)
Wisconsin Bell v. US ex rel Heath (False Claims Act)
In Wisconsin Bell, Inc. v. United States ex rel. Heath, the Supreme Court unanimously affirms that E-Rate reimbursement requests qualify as “claims” under the False Claims Act (FCA). The case centers on whether federal subsidies distributed through the E-Rate program—funded by contributions from telecommunications carriers and administered by a private corporation—constitute government-provided money for FCA purposes.
Writing for the Court, Justice Kagan holds that because the government transferred over $100 million from the U.S. Treasury into the E-Rate fund, it “provided” a portion of the money requested, satisfying the statutory definition under 31 U.S.C. §3729(b)(2)(A)(ii)(I). The ruling rejects Wisconsin Bell’s argument that the government was merely an intermediary, emphasizing that the government actively collected, managed, and disbursed funds, akin to its broader fiscal operations.
The decision affirms the Seventh Circuit and allows the FCA suit to proceed. Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh each filed concurring opinions (both of whom signed onto one another's), and Justice Alito signed onto a portion of the Thomas concurrence.
