<P> The False Claims Act, also called the "Lincoln Law") is an American federal law that imposes liability on persons and companies (typically federal contractors) who defraud governmental programs . It is the federal Government's primary litigation tool in combating fraud against the Government . The law includes a qui tam provision that allows people who are not affiliated with the government, called "relators" under the law, to file actions on behalf of the government (informally called "whistleblowing" especially when the relator is employed by the organization accused in the suit). Persons filing under the Act stand to receive a portion (usually about 15--25 percent) of any recovered damages . As of 2012, over 70 percent of all federal Government FCA actions were initiated by whistleblowers . Claims under the law have typically involved health care, military, or other government spending programs, and dominate the list of largest pharmaceutical settlements . The government recovered $38.9 billion under the False Claims Act between 1987 and 2013 and of this amount, $27.2 billion or 70% was from qui tam cases brought by relators . </P> <P> Qui tam laws have history dating back to the Middle Ages in England . In 1318, King Edward II offered one third of the penalty to the relator when the relator successfully sued government officials who moonlighted as wine merchants . The Maintenance and Embracery Act 1540 of Henry VIII provided that common informers could sue for certain forms of interference with the course of justice in legal proceedings that were concerned with the title to land . This act is still in force today in the Republic of Ireland, although in 1967 it was extinguished in England . The idea of a common informer bringing suit for damages to the Commonwealth was later brought to Massachusetts, where "penalties for fraud in the sale of bread (are) to be distributed one third to inspector who discovered the fraud and the remainder for the benefit of the town where the offense occurred ." Other statutes can be found on the colonial law books of Connecticut, New York, Virginia and South Carolina . </P> <P> The American Civil War (1861--1865) was marked by fraud on all levels, both in the Union north and the Confederate south . During the war, unscrupulous contractors sold the Union Army decrepit horses and mules in ill health, faulty rifles and ammunition, and rancid rations and provisions, among other unscrupulous actions . In response, Congress passed the False Claims Act on March 2, 1863, 12 Stat. 696 . Because it was passed under the administration of President Abraham Lincoln, the False Claims Act is often referred to as the "Lincoln Law". </P> <P> Importantly, a reward was offered in what is called the qui tam provision, which permits citizens to sue on behalf of the government and be paid a percentage of the recovery . Qui tam is an abbreviated form of the Latin legal phrase qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur ("he who brings a case on behalf of our lord the King, as well as for himself") In a qui tam action, the citizen filing suit is called a "relator". As an exception to the general legal rule of standing, courts have held that qui tam relators are "partially assigned" a portion of the government's legal injury, thereby allowing relators to proceed with their suits . </P>

The fca was passed during the civil war for what reason
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