25 U.S.C. § 88 — False vouchers, accounts, or claims

submitted 142 years ago by ch. 180 to r/title-25-INDIANS · 291 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

Anyone who knowingly submits a false voucher about Indian Service business loses the right to payment. The United States can recover any money wrongly credited or paid because of the false information. Only the false voucher within a larger account is affected.

Any U.S. disbursing officer or other person commits a violation by knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a voucher, account, or claim to a U.S. officer for approval, payment, or credit relating to Indian Service business, if it contains a material misrepresentation about the amount due or paid, the name or nature of the item or service, the date of purchase, delivery, or performance, or any other detail. A voucher, account, or claim with such a misrepresentation is not entitled to any payment or credit. If a credit or payment was already given, the United States can recharge it to the officer or person who received it and recover the amount from either or both, the same way it collects other debts owed to it. If an account has more than one voucher, only the voucher containing the misrepresentation is affected — the rest of the account is unaffected. In any civil case settling these accounts, the officers and people who did the business are presumed to know the facts stated in the voucher, account, or claim. This section adds to, and does not replace, other penalties that already exist by law for the same kind of offense. Wherever practical, this section should be printed on the blank voucher forms used generally.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

Any disbursing or other officer of the United States, or other person, who shall knowingly present, or cause to be presented, any voucher, account, or claim to any officer of the United States, for approval or payment, or for the purpose of securing a credit in any account with the United States, relating to any matter pertaining to the Indian Service, which shall contain any material misrepresentation of fact in regard to the amount due or paid, the name or character of the article furnished or received; or of the service rendered, or to the date of purchase, delivery, or performance of service, or in any other particular, shall not be entitled to payment or credit for any part of said voucher, account, or claim; and if any such credit shall be given or received, or payment made, the United States may recharge the same to the officer or person receiving the credit or payment, and recover the amount from either or from both, in the same manner as other debts due the United States are collected: Provided, That where an account contains more than one voucher the foregoing shall apply only to such vouchers as contain the misrepresentation: And provided further, That the officers and persons by and between whom the business is transacted shall, in all civil actions in settlement of accounts, be presumed to know the facts in relation to the matter set forth in the voucher, account, or claim: And provided further, That the foregoing shall be in addition to the penalties prescribed by law, and in no way affect proceedings under existing law for like offenses. Where practicable this section shall be printed on the blank forms of vouchers provided for general use.

Source credit: (July 4, 1884, ch. 180, § 8, 23 Stat. 97.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1884Enacted · Act of July 4, 1884, ch. 180 · 23 Stat. 97

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 180 on 1884-07-04.

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