United States Ex Rel. Pratt v. Alliant Techsystems, Inc.

ORDER GRANTING -APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT AND DISMISSING THE ACTION WITH PREJUDICE •'

On December 14, 1998, the parties’ stipulated motion for approval of the settlement agreement and dismissal of- the action came on for hearing before this Court. At that time,- the Court instructed the parties' to engage in fürther discussions regarding the terms of the settlement agreement. The Court has read and considered the correspondence summarizing the status of those discussions, all pleadings and papers in the Court’s file, and all relevant and admissible evidence in support .of and against the stipulated motion. Having considered all of the above, the Court elects to approve the settlement, notwithstanding the United States’ objections.

I.

Introduction and Factual Summary

Robert Pratt, the qui tam relator in this action, was an employee of Hercules and Alliant at their rocket motor manufacturing facility in Magna, Utah, from 1984 until 1995. Generally, his complaint alleged that Defendants perpetrated a massive fraud involving numerous military programs for which they substantially overcharged the United States. Specifically, Pratt’s original Complaint alleged that…