Berg|FCA - 09 - GOV Motion to Dismiss Case (03/26/2009)

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IN

THE

UNITEDSTATESDISTRICTCOURTFOR

THE

DISTRICTOFCOLUMBIAUNITEDSTATESOFAMERICA

EX

REL.

PHILLIPJ.BERG,Plaintiff,

v.

BARACKHUSSEINOBAMA,JR.,Defendant.

)))

)

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)

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)

Civ.No.1:08-1933(RWR)

UNDER

SEAL

UNITEDSTATES'SUGGESTIONOFDISMISSAL

TheUnitedStates

of

America,throughitsundersignedcounsel,respectfullysubmitsthissuggestion

of

dismissal,seekingthedismissal

of

thisactionpursuantto

31

U.S.C.§3730(c)(2)(A)

of

theFalseClaimsAct(FCA),

31

U.S.C.

§§

3729-3733,intheexercise

of

prosecutorialdiscretion.BACKGROUNDRelator,Philip

J.

Berg,filedthiscomplaint

prose

underseaPon

or

aboutNovember

7,

2008,pursuanttotheFCA,

31

U.S.C.

§

3730.TheFCAisthegovernment'sprimarytoolforrecoveringmoneylostfromtheUnitedStatesTreasuryduetofraud.Its

quitam

provisionspermitaprivateperson,"arelator,"tofileanactiononbehalf

of

theUnitedStatestorecovertheUnitedStates'damagesinexchangeforabounty

of

upto30%

of

anyeventualrecovery.

See

id.

1

Relatorappearstohavethenbreachedthesealbypostingonhiswebsitealist

of

histhreelawsuitsagainstPresidentObarna,whichstatesinpart:"Bergv.Obarna,U.S.DistrictCourt,Casefiledundersealon

11107/08

-

cannotbediscussed.BergfiledMotiontoUnsealDenied.ResponsedueApril2009."

See

http://www.obamacrimes.info/.

TheUnitedStatesmayelecttointerveneintheactionandassumeprimaryresponsibilityforthelitigation,oritmaydeclinetointervene,whichallowstherelatortopursuetheactionontheUnitedStates'behalf.

31

U.S.C.

§§

3730(b)(2),(c).TheUnitedStatesalsoretainstheauthoritytodismissanactionwhendismissalisintheinterests

of

theUnitedStates.

Id.

§3730(c)(2)(A)("TheGovernmentmaydismisstheactionnotwithstandingtheobjections

of

thepersoninitiatingtheaction

if

thepersonhasbeennotifiedbytheGovernment

of

thefiling

of

themotionandthecourthasprovidedthepersonwithanopportunityforahearingonthemotion.")Mr.BergallegesinhislawsuitthatPresidentBarackObamadefraudedtheUnitedStatesbytakinghisSenatesalarywhenhedidnotmeetthecitizenshiprequirementstoholdaSenateseat.Hehasmadesimilar·allegationsinotherproceedings.

See,e.g.,

Berg

v.

Obama,

574

F.

Supp.2d509(E.D.Pa.2008).TheDepartment

of

Justicehasreviewedtherelator'sallegations,determinedthattheylackmerit,andconcludedthattheythereforeshouldnotbepursuedontheUnitedStates'behalfagainstitssittingPresident.

Seegenerally

MemorandumRuling,

Hollister

v.

Soetoro,

Civ.No.08-2254(JR),slipop.atI(D.D.C.Mar.

5,2009)

(attachedheretoasExhibitA)(concludingwithrespecttoanotherlawsuitbyastrawplaintiffforMr.Bergwithsubstantiallythesameallegations:"Thiscase,

if

itwereallowedtoproceed,woulddeservementioninone

of

thosebooksthatseektoprovethatthelawisfoolishorthatAmericahastoomanylawyerswithoutenoughtodo.Eveninitsrelativelyshortlifethecasehasexcitedtheblogosphereandtheconspiracytheorists.Therightthingtodoistobringittoanearlyend.").ARGUMENTTheCourt

of

Appealshasrecognizedthat

31

U.S.C.§3730(c)(2)(A)givestheUnitedStates"virtually'unfettered'discretion"todismissa

quitam

suit,including,ashere,beforethe

-2-

UnitedStateshasmadeitselectionwhethertointervene.

SeeUnitedStatesexrei.Hoyte

v.

AmericanNational

Red

Cross,

518

F.

3d61,

65

(D.C.Cir.2008);

Swift

v.

UnitedStates,318

F.3d250,251-54(D.C.Cir.2003).Byaffording

quitam

relatorsanopportunityforahearing

if

theyrequestone,section3730(c)(2)(A)givesrelatorsthechanceto

try

toconvincetheUnitedStatestochangeitsmindbutgivestheCourtnoroleinsecond-guessingtheUnitedStates'exercise

of

itsprosecutorialdiscretion.

SeeHoyte,

518F.3dat65;

Swift,

318F.3dat253.TheCourt

of

Appealshasexplained:"Nothingin

§

3730(c

)(2)(A)

purportstodeprivetheExecutiveBranch

of

itshistoricalprerogativetodecidewhichcasesshouldgoforwardinthename

of

theUnitedStates."

Swift,

318

F.

3dat253.Intheexercise

of

itsdiscretion,theUnitedStateshasdeterminedthatthisactionshouldnotproceed.CONCLUSIONFortheforegoingreasons,werespectfullyrequestthattherelatorbeaffordedanopportunityforahearing

if

hesorequestsandthisactionthenbedismissed.Respectfullysubmitted,MICHAEL

F.

HERTZ,DCBar#261495ActingAssistantAttorneyGeneralCivilDivision/s/

S

~ ( ' -

VV\<eLUA",,-WV{

JOYCE

R.

BRANDA,DCBar#246363ALAN

E.

KLEINBURD,DCBar#950196SARAMCLEANCivilDivision,Department

of

JusticePostOfficeBox261,BenFranklinStationWashington,DC20044(202)307-0475

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