We don’t often like to pick favorites, but when the moment strikes, we glance back at the previous year’s news to reflect. This January, as we unveiled our series of Top-10 lists, we reviewed 2024’s robust archive of Whistleblower Insider Blog posts to revisit a wide range of compelling topics, government enforcements, settlements, and extraordinary whistleblower stories.

On this list, we covered some historic wins to the tune of eye-popping amounts, in addition to applauding courageous whistleblowers and sharing enforcement updates from government agencies like the DOJ and CFTC. We also balanced some of the heavier topics (such as whistleblower deaths or fraud in the wake of natural disasters) with roundups featuring musical artists with lyrics that channel the whistleblower spirit. Patti Smith, Green Day, and John Lennon, for example.

Here are some of our favorite stories from 2024:

1. First Place Winner of Constantine Cannon’s Whistleblower Essay Contest: Laney Fox

As we prepare to comb through the next round of scholarship essay contest entries and select our winner by March 15, 2025, we looked back at some of last year’s outstanding winners. Our top prize went to Laney Fox who has a “profound passion to help give a voice to the voiceless and fight for justice on any and all levels.”

In her essay, Fox depicted her experience as a college athlete and the culture of silence she challenged in the world of college sports. Fox spoke up about the troubling environment where racism and social injustice were ignored by her university and coaching staff. This essay is a must-read for prospective essay applicants, and for anyone who wants to learn more about Fox’s stance on the importance of whistleblowers.

2. Power to the People: Top 10 Lyrics Channeling John Lennon’s Whistleblower Spirit

In 2024, we featured several artists who champion the whistleblower spirit through lyrics and activism. John Lennon, an OG whistleblower, was known for his outspoken political activism and unbridled willingness to challenge societal norms. He often used his music as a platform to express his beliefs, protest, seek truths, and advocate for peace and social justice. We hand-picked 10 lyrics that best illustrate Lennon’s knack for expressing truths, finding information, and advocating for peace and social justice.

3. TD Bank Pays Record-Setting $3.1 Billion For Money Laundering And Bank Secrecy Act Violations

In October 2024, TD Bank pleaded guilty and agreed to pay around $1.8 billion in penalties to resolve DOJ charges of money laundering and other violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). This is in addition to the $1.3 billion the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) assessed TD Bank for the same violations.

The $3.1 billion combined sanction is the largest penalty ever imposed under the BSA. It also is the largest penalty against a depository institution in US Treasury and FinCEN history. TD Bank became the largest bank in US history to plead guilty to BSA program failures, and the first US bank to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

4. Revolution Radio: 10 Green Day Lyrics That Ignite the Whistleblower Spirit

Green Day’s catalogue is brimming with whistleblowing topics, calling out corruption, hypocrisy, injustice, and societal wrongs. We rounded up 10 of their song lyrics that have inspired generations to reflect on the world and emphatically shake their fists at the status quo. The band encourages listeners to find their voices, speak truths, and act – whether by simply voting or by taking more affirmative steps to stand up for the underserved or overly-marginalized.

5. Florida Whistleblowers Expose Insurance Fraud Amid Hurricane Ian Recovery

In 2024, Florida was still recovering from Hurricane Ian, but sadly, the natural disaster did not deter fraudsters from cashing in on misfortune. Two whistleblowers, who are licensed insurance adjusters, stepped forward to claim that insurance companies altered damage reports in the wake of Hurricane Ian, defrauding homeowners by tens of thousands of dollars. The insurance adjusters testified before Florida lawmakers. The whistleblowers shared, “It was a deliberate scheme,” and explained how this points to “systematic criminal fraud” – an issue that is more widespread beyond this incident.

6. Another Tragic Whistleblower Death – OpenAI Whistleblower Suchir Balaji

In December 2024, former OpenAI researcher and whistleblower Suchir Balaji, 26, died by suicide. The San Francisco police found his body on November 26 after they were called to his apartment prompted by concerns of his wellbeing. Unfortunately, Balaji adds to the list of whistleblowers who have died amid their efforts to expose what they saw as serious wrongdoing broadly impacting the public.

These are very painful reminders of the difficult path many whistleblowers face in trying to do the right thing. They are equally potent reminders of how we all would be best served by better protecting whistleblowers and providing them with safe and easy channels to shine a light on fraud and misconduct.

7. Independent Health to Pay $98M to Resolve Medicare Advantage Fraud Allegations

In December 2024, the government announced that Buffalo, New York’s Independent Health Association and Independent Health Corporation agreed to pay up to $98 million to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting, or causing the submission of, invalid diagnosis codes to Medicare for Medicare Advantage Plan enrollees. Constantine Cannon represented the brave whistleblower who came forward to uncover this scheme.

8. Indiana’s Community Health Network To Pay an Additional $135M to Settle Stark Law Case Initiated by Whistleblower

As announced in December 2024, Indiana-based Community Health Network (“Community”) will pay an additional $135 million to resolve a False Claims Act case involving Stark Law violations initiated by a whistleblower Constantine Cannon represented. The settlement is the final resolution of a 2014 False Claims Act case brought by whistleblower Thomas P. Fischer, former Community Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. In December 2023, the United States and Community settled the first part of this case for $345 million—the largest Stark Law settlement to date.

9. Constantine Cannon Partner Gordon Schnell Published in Washington Technology on DOJ’s Enforcement Crusade Against Cybersecurity Fraud

Cybersecurity failures are serious issues. In October 2024, the government contracting magazine Washington Technology published a commentary by Constantine Cannon whistleblower partner Gordon Schnell on the number of False Claims Act enforcement actions DOJ brought against government contractors for cybersecurity failures. These actions stemmed from DOJ’s Cyber-Fraud Initiative, an enforcement priority that offers incentives for reporting violations. As Schnell explained, “Those that do business with the government would be wise to get their data protection systems in order or they may find themselves next up on DOJ’s cybersecurity hit list.”

10. Guilty Verdict in Whistleblower Case Against Janssen Could Lead to $1 Billion Payout 

In June 2024, a unanimous jury verdict paved way for a historic win, concluding that Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Products, LP, defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. The company was found liable for the illegal off-label promotion and marketing of its HIV/AIDS-treatment drugs, Prezista and Intelence. This judgment, from violations of the federal False Claims Act and various state False Claims Acts, could exceed $1 billion. This verdict resulted from 10+ years of legal battles initiated in 2012 by whistleblowers.

Bonus picks:

CFTC Makes First Whistleblower Award to Compliance Officer

In March 2024, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced a $1.25 million whistleblower award. This is an important story because the award was given to an individual with compliance or internal audit responsibilities. Individuals serving this function are typically precluded from qualifying as whistleblowers under the CFTC Whistleblower Program.

In January 2025, the CFTC promoted head of the CFTC Whistleblower Office, Brian Young, to Acting Director of the CFTC’s Division of Enforcement. Young made his appreciation for whistleblowers clear, so we are thrilled with this appointment and looking forward to what this year could bring.

Happy Birthday, Patti Smith! 10 Lyrics to Honor the Powerhouse Punk Legend’s Whistleblower Spirit

We honored the “Punk Poet Laureate’s” birthday in December 2024 by lyrical examples that fight the good fight, challenge conventional norms, and honor resilience. While Smith isn’t necessarily known for writing songs with explicit whistleblower themes, many of her songs can be interpreted as voicing hard truths, exposing injustice, and fighting the status quo – much like a whistleblower does. We chose bold songs that address cultural, social, and political issues.

Read Top 10 Most Notable Whistleblower Stories and Government Enforcement Actions of 2024 at constantinecannon.com