Kootstra

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ex rel. No. 1:22-cv-00924-TLN-CDB

RELATOR, LLC,

12 Plaintiffs, ORDER v. 14 HOWARD D. KOOTSTRA and GOLDEN EMPIRE MORTGAGE, INC., Defendants. 17 This matter is before the Court on Defendants Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. (“GEM”) and Howard D. Kootstra’s (“Kootstra”) (collectively, “Defendants”) Motion to Dismiss. (ECF No. 33.) Plaintiff-Relator Relator LLC (“Relator”), who brings this qui tam action on behalf of the United States, filed an opposition. (ECF No. 40.) The United States did not file an opposition. Defendants filed a reply. (ECF No. 41.) For the reasons set forth below, the Court GRANTS Defendants’ motion. /// /// /// /// /// I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND This case arises from Defendants’ application for a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan. (ECF No. 1 at 2.) The federal government implemented the PPP in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide eligible…