Jindal signs ethics laws

On Tuesday, February 26, the Louisiana Legislature adjourned a special session called by newly-elected Governor Bobby Jindal in the hope of enacting sweeping changes to Louisiana ethics laws relating to elected officials and other state administrators. The session resulted in the passage of a number of bills designed to increase transparency with respect to state officials’ financials, to limit potential influence by lobbyists, and to reduce potential conflicts of interest in state officials’ dealings with state agencies. Continue Reading...

Violations of Environmental Terms in Federal Oil and Gas Lease Insufficient to Support a Claim under the False Claims Act

By Clare Bienvenu

In Marcy v. Rowan Cos., Inc., No. 06-31238, 2008 WL 588745 (5th Cir. 2008), the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s decision to dismiss a qui tam action brought under the Federal Claims Act (FCA). The action alleged that the defendants violated the FCA by concealing the discharge of pollutants from an offshore drilling unit into the Gulf of Mexico.

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