{"id":2769,"date":"2026-03-06T04:20:35","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T04:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/?p=2769"},"modified":"2026-05-11T02:49:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T02:49:27","slug":"what-evidence-can-whistleblowers-take","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/what-evidence-can-whistleblowers-take\/","title":{"rendered":"What Evidence Can Whistleblowers Take?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8d88fe0f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-bfe46dd3 default uagb-is-root-container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-container uagb-block-50ce6aa5\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#fcb900\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/kathleen-gallagher.html\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"855\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Kathleen Gallagher<\/span><\/a>\u2002<\/mark>\u00b7\u2002March 5, 2026\u2002\u00b7\u20026-min read<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you uncovered fraud you will need to gather proof that backs up your claim. But it is important to be careful about <em>what<\/em> and <em>how<\/em> you collect this evidence. Taking the wrong approach might hurt your case or even get you in trouble. Here is how to do it the right way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-advanced-heading uagb-block-ba1b3876-0ecd-4a87-a47a-4f12090b22eb\" id=\"uagb-adv-heading-d4bc42b8-6755-445d-8552-8c073bce13e1\"><h2 class=\"uagb-heading-text\"><strong><strong><strong>1. Documents: Take Only What You Need \u2014 Do Not Grab Everything<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not have to take every single document or file you see. Instead, focus on collecting the really important stuff that clearly shows the fraud, like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bills the government was charged for<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proof of payments made<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contracts or agreements tied to the fraud<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Courts understand that protecting the public means whistleblowers can share certain private info (like medical records) with their lawyer or the government, if it helps prove the fraud. But taking too much unrelated material\u2014like entire folders or hard drives full of random files\u2014can cause legal problems. For example, in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/appellate-courts\/ca9\/09-16181\/09-16181-2011-03-28.html\">Cafasso v. Gen. Dynamics C4 Sys. Inc., 637 F.3d 1047 (9th Cir. 2011)<\/a><\/span>, the court upheld a decision that an employee-relator breached her confidentiality agreement when she copied nearly eleven gigabytes of data\u2014tens of thousands of pages\u2014by grabbing whole folders and not reviewing individual documents to determine whether they were relevant to her whistleblower complaint. The Ninth Circuit emphasized that by doing this, the relator swept in sensitive and legally protected material (including privileged communications and trade secrets). This decision underscores why \u2018less is more\u2019 when gathering evidence\u2014taking fraud-related documents is protected, but overly broad copying can expose you to lawsuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Remember:<\/strong> Only keep documents you reasonably believe are related to the fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-advanced-heading uagb-block-956e7c14\" id=\"uagb-adv-heading-d4bc42b8-6755-445d-8552-8c073bce13e1\"><h2 class=\"uagb-heading-text\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>2. Conversation Recording: Be Cautious and Aware of Your State\u2019s Laws<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Recording conversations can feel like a simple way to preserve what was said, but the laws vary widely and can change depending on whether you are recording an in-person discussion or a phone call. Both scenarios can trigger state \u201cwiretapping\u201d or \u201ceavesdropping\u201d laws; however, phone calls are more likely to be treated as a protected \u201ccommunication.\u201d In-person recordings can raise different issues\u2014such as whether you placed a device in a room or recorded in a setting where someone reasonably expected privacy\u2014so the fact pattern matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A key concept is consent. In a single-party consent jurisdiction, a recording is generally lawful if at least one person in the conversation consents\u2014meaning the recorder can be one of the participants. In a dual-party (also called all-party) consent jurisdiction, everyone on the call or in the conversation must consent before a recording is made. Many states do not apply the same consent rule to phone calls and in-person conversations. If you are unsure which rule applies, do not guess: review your state\u2019s law before you record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Federal law is often described as a single-party consent framework because the consent of one party to a telephone call is enough under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/18\/2511\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">18 U.S.C. \u00a7 2511<\/span><\/a>. But state laws can be more restrictive, and those stricter rules can control in practice. For example, under <a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/codes\/nevada\/chapter-200\/statute-200-620\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/codes\/nevada\/chapter-200\/statute-200-620\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">NRS 200.620<\/span><\/a>, Nevada is an all-party consent state for telephone recordings, which means recording a call is only legal if all parties consent. A practical starting point for checking your state\u2019s rule is this 50-state survey, but treat it as a reference (not a substitute for legal advice) and confirm the current law before you record: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justia.com\/50-state-surveys\/recording-phone-calls-and-conversations\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">https:\/\/www.justia.com\/50-state-surveys\/recording-phone-calls-and-conversations\/<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, where the recording happens can also be outcome-determinative. In <a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/nevada\/supreme-court\/2017\/70475.html\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Ditech Financial LLC v. Buckles, 133 Nev. 493, 401 P.3d 215 (2017)<\/span><\/a>, the Nevada Supreme Court held Nevada\u2019s all-party consent statute for telephone calls \u201cdoes not apply when the act of interception takes place outside Nevada.\u201d The court explained that interceptions and recordings occur where they are made, so the law of the state where the recording was made typically controls, even if the call was received somewhere else. As a result, the court held Nevada law did not apply to recordings of calls with a person in Nevada when the recording party was located and used recording equipment outside of Nevada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Remember:<\/strong> Never record conversations without knowing the rules that apply to your state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-advanced-heading uagb-block-88d7a9da\" id=\"uagb-adv-heading-d4bc42b8-6755-445d-8552-8c073bce13e1\"><h2 class=\"uagb-heading-text\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>3. Be Careful How You Collect Information<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You should only collect documents you are allowed to see as part of your normal work. For example, if your job lets you see billing records, you can take those. Do not collect files you are not authorized to access, and if you leave the job (or get suspended or fired), do not go back to get information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Companies often watch computer activity closely. If you suddenly start copying a lot of files, emailing documents to yourself, printing tons of papers, or accessing files you should not be, it could raise suspicion. To avoid this, you can use your personal phone to take pictures of important information on your screen instead of downloading files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you talk to coworkers, be very careful! Talking to the wrong person could risk your job or case. Always check with your lawyer before reaching out to anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, if you communicated with your company\u2019s lawyers, those communications may be protected by <em>attorney-client privilege<\/em>. That means you cannot share those conversations or emails with anyone else, even your own lawyer. A conversation is usually protected if an employee spoke with the company\u2019s lawyer so the company could get legal advice. If you think you have this kind of protected evidence, tell your lawyer without giving the actual details or documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Never:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Access files you do not have permission to see<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use work email or phones to talk to your lawyer or investigators<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Send or save documents to yourself using company systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Record meetings or collect emails with company lawyers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Gathering evidence for a whistleblower case takes planning and care. Follow these tips to protect yourself and make your case stronger. And remember, working closely with an experienced qui tam lawyer is the best way to safely navigate this process and get the best outcome. Contact Gallagher &amp; Lipshutz. Our False Claims Act team can help evaluate your case and map the right path forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This post is general information, not legal advice. For guidance on your specific facts, consult experienced False Claims Act counsel.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-advanced-heading uagb-block-2edba8d0-6874-42c9-ac68-489ddbbac81e\" id=\"uagb-adv-heading-a635e835-1e83-40d4-a259-df0a57235bda\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gathering the right evidence is crucial to support your claim. However, it&#8217;s essential to approach this task with caution. Taking too much unrelated material can lead to legal troubles and improper recording of conversations may violate state laws. In this article, we outline the best practices for collecting evidence as a whistleblower, including what documents to focus on, how to navigate conversation recording laws, and the importance of working within your authorized access.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-false-claims-act"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/blog-background-scaled-e1758663279833.jpg",2560,1143,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/blog-background-scaled-e1758663279833-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/blog-background-scaled-e1758663279833-300x134.jpg",300,134,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/blog-background-scaled-e1758663279833-768x343.jpg",768,343,true],"large":["https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/blog-background-scaled-e1758663279833-1024x457.jpg",1024,457,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/blog-background-scaled-e1758663279833-1536x686.jpg",1536,686,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/blog-background-scaled-e1758663279833-2048x914.jpg",2048,914,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Kathleen Gallagher","author_link":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/author\/kathleengallagher\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Gathering the right evidence is crucial to support your claim. However, it's essential to approach this task with caution. Taking too much unrelated material can lead to legal troubles and improper recording of conversations may violate state laws. In this article, we outline the best practices for collecting evidence as a whistleblower, including what documents&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2769"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2769\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2796,"href":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2769\/revisions\/2796"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallagherlipshutz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}