Key Takeaways from the SuperValu Case and Implications for the False Claims Act

On June 1, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Schutte v. SuperValu, Inc., held that the mental state required by the False Claims Act (FCA) refers to the defendant’s actual knowledge and subjective beliefs about the truth of claims for payment submitted to federal payers. The decision overturns the growing body of case law precluding FCA liability when a defendant’s interpretation of the applicable law was objectively reasonable regardless of the defendant’s actual knowledge. Joe Wolfe, Attorney, Hal...