No. 18-315October Term 2018Decided May 13, 2019
Cochise Consultancy, Inc. v. United States ex rel. Hunt
This case asked how the False Claims Act’s statute of limitations applies when a private whistleblower brings a qui tam suit and the United States chooses not to intervene.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released May 13, 2019
- What it's about
This case asked how the False Claims Act’s statute of limitations applies when a private whistleblower brings a qui tam suit and the United States chooses not to intervene. The Court held that the whistleblower may rely on the Act’s 3-year knowledge-based limitations period in that situation, but the whistleblower is not the "official of the United States" whose knowledge starts that period.
Question presented
The question presented is whether a relator in a False Claims Act qui tam action may rely on the statute of limitations in 31 U.S.C. § 3731(b)(2) in a suit in which the United States has declined to intervene and, if so, whether the relator constitutes an "official of the United States" for purposes of Section 3731(b)(2).
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit / Decision released May 13, 2019
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Timing
Decided May 13, 2019
The Court released its decision on May 13, 2019 without hearing oral argument.
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jun 1, 2026
- Method
- Methodology