July 29, 2008
W.W. Grainger, a tool and maintenance products, has paid $6 million to settle charges that it defrauded the U.S. government.
A whistleblower suit filed by a former employee alleged that the company sold supplies to government agencies at a greater markup than allowed by their contracts. Grainger was also alleged to have violated both contracts and federal law by supplying the agencies with products from countries that don’t have free trade agreements with the United States.