Judge lifts default in lawsuit against military contractor
A federal judge has lifted a default in a massive false claims lawsuit against a Kuwaiti firm that has been indicted by a grand jury in Atlanta for allegedly overcharging the U.S. military.
Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Vining set aside the default entered a month ago by the clerk's office against Public Warehousing Co., now known as Agility, because the company had failed to file an answer to a whistle-blower lawsuit that was joined by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Vining granted the company's motion to vacate the default, which if allowed to stay in effect would have meant a determination would have had to be made to decide how much Agility must pay in damages, lawyers for the whistle-blower said.
In 2009, Agility was indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta for the alleged fraud. The company has pleaded not guilty and recently filed motions requesting the charges be dismissed.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
