WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--FedEx Corp. (FDX) will pay the federal government $8 million to settle civil false-claims allegations that it wrongly blamed security delays for the late delivery of packages to U.S. government agencies, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. The case relates to increased security measures at government buildings in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. A FedEx employee alleged that, even after the new security measures became routine, FedEx couriers falsely blamed the late delivery of government packages on security delays. By asserting security-related delays, the company avoided reimbursing government employees for the untimely deliveries, the lawsuit alleged. The Justice Department intervened in the case in March. It alleged in court documents that FedEx employees wrongly excused the late delivery of packages from 2002 through this year.
