Washington D.C. – Congressman Dan Lungren (R-Gold River), today received the “Honest Abe 2008 Integrity in Government Award,” being recognized as a champion of the American taxpayer by the organization, Taxpayers Against Fraud. This is the third time this distinction has been given to a Member of Congress. Previous recipients have been Congressman Howard Berman (D- CA) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

“Being good stewards of taxpayer money and standing up against fraud is the obligation of every elected official and I am honored to accept this award. The work we have done on the False Claims Act is a perfect example of what can happen when Members of both political parties reach across the aisle to put the public interest ahead of partisanship,” Lungren said.

The Honest Abe Award is aptly named after President Abraham Lincoln who first signed the False Claims Act of 1863. During the Civil War there was widespread abuse and fraud by government contractors. Lame horses sold to the Union Army and gunpowder mixed with other non-combustible substances were common examples of such fraud. 

The statute initially provided “a reward to the informer who comes into court and betrays his coconspirator, if he be such; but it is not confined to that class.”  The Act authorized private individuals to bring lawsuits on behalf of the United States in cases of fraud against the United States in order to recover the funds which had been wrongfully obtained.

"Having worked on this issue from 1986 to the present day, I believe is it imperative we continue to strengthen the False Claims Act," Lungren added.

During the Congressman's acceptance speech, he referenced the case of Father John Corapi to illustrate the importance of the False Claims Act. Father Corapi’s whistle blowing led to an investigation into practices of unnecessary open heart surgeries by a major hospital in northern California.