Lisa Bloom (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)
In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic raged across the country, law firms received ~$12 billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Among those attorneys benefiting from the program was noted California attorney Lisa Bloom, known for her representation of sexual assault victims (and also strangely, Harvey Weinstein for a time).
Now Bloom, along with her husband Braden Pollock, and her eponymous firm will pay the federal government $274,000+ to settle claims under the False Claims Act that they use false information to get Covid relief funds. The firm is paying the bulk of that figure, $204,000, with Bloom and Pollock on the hook for $35,000.
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Martin Estrada, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said in a statement, “Attorneys have a duty to follow the law to the letter – especially when it comes to government programs aiding individuals and businesses impacted by COVID-19.”
Reuters has details on what allegedly happened. According to prosecutors, the PPP funds were used by Bloom to pay for workers ineligible under the program and for folks who did not work at the firm.
As part of the settlement Bloom, et al., denied the allegations and did not admit liability.
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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].