Government asks to intervene in whistleblower lawsuit

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) – The federal government wants to get involved in a whistleblower lawsuit against Eastern Kentucky disability lawyer Eric C. Conn.

Media outlets report attorneys with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division filed a motion Tuesday in federal court asking to “partially intervene for a good cause.”

The lawsuit was filed in by Jennifer Griffith and Sarah Carver, who worked in the Social Security Administration office in Huntington, W.Va. The women say Conn conspired with Judge David Daugherty to funnel thousands of Conn’s cases to Daugherty, who awarded disability benefits to people who didn’t deserve them because their medical records were falsified.

Conn has denied any wrongdoing and hasn’t been charged with a crime.

According to Tuesday’s motion, government involvement is warranted in the whistleblower lawsuit because the public needs to be assured a taxpayer-funded program is administered with transparency.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.