Digital-media and analytics firm Adobe Inc.
ADBE,
+0.15%
agreed to pay $3 million to settle allegations that it made payments that ran afoul of anti-kickback laws and allowed them “to influence federal purchases” of its software, the Justice Department said on Thursday. The allegations center on “improper payments” Adobe was said to have made under its Solution Partner program “to companies that had a contractual or other relationship with the government that allowed them to influence federal purchases of Adobe software.” The DOJ, in a statement, said that between January 2011 and December 2020, “Adobe allegedly paid the companies a percentage of the purchase price of the software. The United States contends that these payments constituted prohibited kickbacks that resulted in Adobe causing false claims for payment to be submitted to federal agencies.” The allegations and settlement stem from claims made under whistleblower provisions by three former Adobe managers, who will get $555,000 as part of the deal. Adobe, in a statement, said: “We’ve cooperated with the government since it began its investigation in 2018 and there was no determination of liability by the DOJ nor is there an admission of liability by Adobe. We value our relationships with the U.S. government and U.S. government customers and are pleased to settle this matter to avoid unnecessary litigation costs.” Shares of Adobe were down .05% after hours.
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