Orange County supervisors are slated Tuesday to go behind closed doors to discuss a whistleblower lawsuit that is almost completely sealed from public disclosure.
Due to the court seal, very little is known publicly about the suit, which is identified as Under Seal v. Under Seal on the supervisors’ agenda.
County officials say the case was brought under the California False Claims Act, which allows whistleblowers to file suit over fraudulent claims to get payments from the state or local agencies. The state Attorney General or local prosecutors then have the option of joining the suit as plaintiffs.
The suit is being handled by Sacramento County Superior Court, and appears to have been filed in 2012. The seal is slated to be lifted on Oct. 7, according to county spokeswoman Jean Pasco.
But beyond that, county and court officials say they can’t reveal anything about the contents of the suit, including the names of any plaintiffs and defendants.
While it’s under seal, only the Attorney General and prosecutors for local agencies involved in the suit can access case files. Defendants and members of the public are prohibited from viewing filings.
Orange County isn’t the only place where the lawsuit has been discussed.
The suit has also been the subject of closed door talks among Madera County supervisors in 2012 and the East Bay Municipal Utilities District board earlier this year.
You can contact Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.