Column: A Trump judge just overturned the government's most effective anti-fraud tool, which has stood for 150 years

Since 1986 , whistleblowers have been in the forefront of the government's war on fraud, accounting for more than 70% of the $75 billion recovered from swindlers on defense contracts, Medicare and other federal programs.

Without the law, the government might never even know about most of the fraud that was unearthed.

Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle is one of a cadre of right-wing judges who have taken it upon themselves to upend settled government laws and programs.

The 1986 amendment was aimed at deterring defense-related fraud.

But since then, about 80% of cases involve accusations against providers to Medicare and Medicaid .

A successful attack on qui tam lawsuits would mean the government loses $531 billion in recoveries over recent decades .

Even corporate defense lawyers are wary of regarding Mizelle 's decision as an outlier.

Conservatives have tried to sap the authority of presidents and federal agencies to do their work.

They've challenged the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the National Labor Relations Board .

Big business has been trying to eviscerate anti-fraud laws for more than a century .