Port Authority of New York and New Jersey : IMPLEMENTS FALSE CLAIMS POLICY AS PART OF ONGOING COMMITMENT TO COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRITY AND ETHICS REFORMS

PORT AUTHORITY IMPLEMENTS FALSE CLAIMS POLICY AS PART OF ONGOING COMMITMENT TO COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRITY AND ETHICS REFORMS

Date: Jan 17, 2018
Press Release Number: 15-2018

As part of its new sweeping integrity reforms, the Port Authority today announced that it implemented a strong False Claims Policy to ensure that fraud and ethical misconduct by contractors and vendors is detected and stopped.

The policy - one of six new integrity measures enacted by the Board of Commissioners last September - is designed to provide an added measure of protection against fraud, especially given the magnitude of the major projects in the Port Authority's 2017-2026 Capital Plan. The policy includes a financial incentive for private sector employees to report information about potential false claims. They will be eligible to receive a percentage of any money recovered for the Port Authority based, in part, on the level of information they provide. To view the policy, click here.

'The Port Authority has zero tolerance toward any unethical conduct or fraudulent action that causes financial harm to this organization,' said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O'Toole. 'This policy builds on other measures we adopted, and we will seek to investigate every claim brought to our attention and take legal action if fraud is uncovered.'

'Our mission is to safeguard every dime of the public's money and ensure that it is being spent for work that's actually being performed,' said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. 'This policy mandates that employees and others who do business with the Port Authority immediately report any actions they believe are wrong or fraudulent to the agency's Inspector General's office for further review.'

Information about false claims can be reported to the Port Authority Inspector General Hotline at 973 565 4340 or by e-mail at [e-mail].

Individuals who report truthfully about a false claim, or about any other wrongdoing, will be protected from retaliation under the Port Authority's strong whistleblower policy.

The False Claims Policy is one of six new reforms announced by the Port Authority's Board of Commissioners last September to help ensure ethical conduct at all levels of the agency. The measures adopted by the Board include codes of conduct for commissioners, employees and vendors, best practices ethics training for employees and the hiring of a Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer.

The Code of Ethics for Port Authority Commissioners and for employees meet with contemporary best practices and meet or exceed the standards of other leading private and public sector organizations. The Code of Ethics for employees covers such areas as conflicts of interest, obligations to report wrongdoing, the duty to safeguard confidential information, and the receiving or giving of gifts.

Contact:
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
212-435-7777

Founded in 1921, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. The agency's network of aviation, ground, rail, and seaport facilities is among the busiest in the country, supports more than 550,000 regional jobs, and generates more than $23 billion in annual wages and $80 billion in annual economic activity. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center site, where the 1,776-foot-tall One World Trade Center is now the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. The Port Authority receives no tax revenue from either the State of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, please visithttp://www.panynj.gov.