qui tam pro domino rege quam pro si ipso in hac parte sequiter

Following ongoing revelations of government-funded propaganda, including bogus video news releases from the drug czar and DHHS, and White House payments to two "journalists," Senators Kennedy (D-Mass) and Lautenberg (D-NJ) are about to introduce a Stop Government Propaganda Act.

The President claims to be completely in the dark about the propaganda payments, or about any skullduggery. It's not that big of a leap to picture POTUS being in the dark about anything. The Act states, "Funds appropriated to an Executive branch agency may not be used for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States unless authorized by law."

"It's time for Congress to shut down the Administration's propaganda mill," Lautenberg said in a statement. "It has no place in the United States Government."

"The act would allow citizens to bring qui tam lawsuits on behalf of the U.S. government when the Department of Justice does not respond. If the matter is taken to court, the bill proposes that the senior official responsible would be fined three times the amount of the 'misspent taxpayer funds' plus an additional fine ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. And if a citizen's qui tam suit is accepted, the bill proposes that the plaintiff receives between 25 and 30% of the proceeds of the fine," Senatory Kennedy explained. "It's an abuse of taxpayer funds and an abuse of the First Amendment and freedom of the press. If the President is serious about stopping these abuses, he will support this legislation."

Qui tam (“key' tom”) is shorthand for the Latin, qui tam pro domino rege quam pro si ipso in hac parte sequiter, or, “who sues on behalf of the King as well as for himself.” Early English kings had no Justice Dept. or FBI or Homeland Security to prosecute thefts from the Privy Purse. Kings used their subjects to bring “popular actions” to protect the royal treasure trove. The lawsuits were known as qui tam actions. If an action was successful, the king would receive part recovered mon and the prosecuting subject, the rest. It looks like most qui tam suits now come from "whistleblowers," although Keelin Curran or Dave Hokit may disagree with my usual half-baked understanding of The Law.
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