Government Drops One Claim in Mortgage False Claims Act Case

DOJ False Claims Act / FIRREA

On April 29, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York dropped its reverse false claims count in a pending False Claims Act case against a mortgage lender. U.S. v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., No. 12-7527. Although the government’s letter does not provide the reasoning behind its decision, during the recent oral argument on the lender’s motion to dismiss, the judge questioned the claim, noting that the obligation to pay at issue is conditional because it depends on an exercise of discretion by the government. The lender’s motion to dismiss remains pending.