Richard Bagley was awarded $27.2 million in his lawsuit against TRW Inc. Bagley was laid off from the company after he began to question their accounting practices. He used the False Claims Act, which allows employees who discover fraud to sue a contractor on behalf of the government. Although Bagley came out a winner, the case took a huge emotional toll. Some see him as a traitor, and he has been shunned by former co-workers. Often whistle-blowers suffer financial loss and ruined reputations.
See "For Whistle-Blowers, Virtue May Be the Only Reward", Peter Pae, Los Angeles Times, June 15, 2003