As a former U.S. Marine officer, Sarah Feinberg was proud to join the prestigious firm Booz Allen Hamilton. However, after earning an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Feinberg discovered an alleged civil fraud scheme within the company, which was overcharging taxpayers to subsidize private consulting contracts.

It helped me kind of get a sense of right versus wrong, and to have a clear picture of the service that I wanted to perform for our country.
After a yearslong investigation, Booz Allen paid a $377 million settlement, the third largest contract fraud settlement in history. Feinberg’s decision to file a complaint under the False Claims Act led to her receiving $69 million from the settlement, which she plans to use to give back to her community.

I had a great experience working at Booz […], And I had nothing negative to say about Booz — until I discovered this fraud.
Despite her success, Feinberg believes Booz Allen should have paid a larger settlement, as she argued they overcharged taxpayers by at least $500 million. Booz Allen maintains their practices were lawful and compliant. Despite this, Feinberg’s courage has been praised by current and former employees, and she plans to use her success to continue to do the right thing.

Original Story By Ken Dilanian and Laura Strickler