Civil Division Affirmative Enforcement

Affirmative Civil Enforcement is the United States Department of Justice’s program by which civil lawsuits are filed by the United States:

• to recover money lost due to fraud and other misconduct against the United States government;
• to impose civil penalties for violations of the nation’s environmental, health, safety and economic welfare laws; and
• to use the federal Anti-Fraud Injunction Act to stop on-going mail, wire, bank or health care fraud and freeze ill-gotten gains derived from those frauds.

Examples of ACE Enforcement Activities

• Prosecution of contractors who commit fraud against the Department of Defense by providing substandard or counterfeit parts, or who overcharge for the products or services they provide;
• Prosecution of companies and individuals for civil penalties and for injunctions to correct pollution of our air, waterways and wetlands;
• Prosecution of health care institutions, providers, professionals, and manufacturers and distributors of health care products who unlawfully benefit from the Medicare, Medicaid, TriCare and other federally funded health care programs through fraudulent activities such as billing for goods or services not rendered, overbilling, inflating cost reports, fraudulent marketing practices, kickbacks, and providing substandard quality of care to patients;
• Recovery of grants and loans made by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development from those who misrepresented their qualifications for, or their use of, federal benefits;
• Prosecution of individuals and organizations that violate antidiscrimination laws through the unlawful denial of equal housing, education and employment opportunities as a result of discrimination on account of race, religion, gender, national origin and disability.