Holden Farms Gets Whistleblower’s PPP Fraud Lawsuit Thrown Out

Minnesota pork producer Holden Farms Inc. won dismissal of a whistleblower’s False Claims Act suit alleging that the company made a false statement in order to receive a nearly $2.6 million Paycheck Protection Program loan during the pandemic.

Whistleblower Animal Legal Defense Fund failed to show that Holden Farms misrepresented compliance with with agricultural standards to the US Small Business Administration in a way that was material to the government’s payment decision, Judge John R. Tunheim, of the US District Court for the District of Minnesota, said in an order filed Tuesday.

The PPP was enacted as part of the ...