Maximus, Inc., a government services contractor based in Virginia, has agreed to pay $8 million to settle allegations that it misled the United States Census Bureau about its call handling quality during the 2020 Census. This settlement resolves allegations made by whistleblowers under the federal False Claims Act.
The company operated several multi-lingual call centers across the United States, handling incoming and outgoing calls related to Census operations. As part of its contract with the Census Bureau, Maximus was required to assess the quality and data accuracy of its call center operations. The contract included an "award fee," which served as an incentive for meeting specific goals. The reported call quality scores played a role in determining this fee.
The U.S. government alleges that Maximus provided inaccurate or misleading score information to enhance the perceived quality of its work. It is claimed that Maximus encouraged its quality monitors to select calls strategically for scoring, thus inflating reported quality scores without disclosing these practices to the Census Bureau.
Maximus cooperated with the investigation, and no liability determination or admission was made regarding the claims against them. Importantly, there were no allegations that Maximus manipulated any census enumeration data.
The lawsuit emerged under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, allowing private citizens aware of fraud against the government to file lawsuits on behalf of the United States and share in recoveries. The whistleblowers involved will receive $1.2 million from this settlement.
United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax stated: “Government contractors must be honest and accurate in their reporting to their government partners. This is particularly true when the information they report affects the amount the government pays them." He emphasized his office's commitment to holding accountable those who mislead taxpayers.
Eric Arcand, Special Agent-in-Charge with Commerce-OIG, remarked: “Census data informs policy and decision-making at all levels of government, and fraud affecting any aspect of the Census Bureau’s programs must not be tolerated." He reiterated their dedication to protecting Census funding from fraud.