The FCA and state laws allow private citizens with knowledge of fraud, abuse, and corporate misconduct to file court cases on behalf of the Government, which will then be placed under seal while being investigated. The Government may choose to intervene and take the lead in pursuing the case, but in most cases the whistleblower prosecutes the case with the aid of experienced counsel. In either event, the whistleblower shares in any eventual recovery on behalf of the federal or state government.