Gilead Beats Whistleblower Claim, Must Face Illegal Firing Charge

An ex-Gilead worker who says he was illegally fired for refusing to steal confidential material isn’t protected by a whistleblower law since the biopharmaceutical company doesn’t receive public funds, a district court ruled.

The Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law only protects good faith reports of wrongdoing by a public body or an employer that receives government funds, Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan said Wednesday in his opinion. Ranjin granted Gilead Sciences Inc. summary judgment on Blase Tucci’s whistleblower claim in the US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

But Gilead remains on the hook for Tucci’s wrongful termination claim after ...