Government Contractor Fraud
Procurement Whistleblower Attorney in Washington, D.C.
Government contractors involved in a variety of sectors and industries have engaged in fraudulent activity against the government. Some of the most common forms of contractor fraud include defense contractors’ fraud, government procurement fraud, and federal acquisition regulation fraud. Contractors are not entitled to an unfair deal with the government. If you have information regarding a procurement company defrauding the government, you may be eligible to file a whistleblower claim.
If you are considering reporting fraud against the federal government,
contact Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. to talk about your rights as a whistleblower.
Defense Contractors Fraud
The United States spends hundreds of billions of dollars annually on national defense. The vast majority of defense procurement of new weapons systems, supplies, equipment, and technical and logistical services is done through contracts with private businesses in the U.S. and around the world. Defense contractor fraud is one of the most active areas of false claims litigation.
Below are some of the most common ways that defense contractors attempt to defraud the federal government:
- Improper product substitution
- Cross-charging
- Worthless or substandard products or services
- Improper cost allocation
- Providing military goods that do not conform to the contract
- Violations of the Truth-in-Negotiations Act
- Inflation of costs and charges
Government Procurement & Federal Acquisition Regulation Fraud
Government procurement fraud and federal acquisition regulation fraud impede the government’s ability to obtain needed goods and services at the lowest competitive price. Furthermore, it destabilizes the public perception of the integrity of the procurement process. As the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the country, the U.S. government has become the most widely abused victim of procurement fraud. It is you, the taxpayer, who ends up bearing the financial burden of fraud, waste, and abuse.
Specific laws apply to government contractors and their business practices. In particular, special laws govern the negotiations between government contractors and the government, including the Truth in Negotiations Act, the Federal Acquisitions Regulations and regulations that apply to particular agencies such as:
- Department of Agriculture Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of Commerce Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of Defense (DOD) Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement,
- Department of Education (DOE) Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of Energy (DOE) Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of Justice (DOJ) Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of Labor (DOL) Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of State Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of the Air Force Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement,
- Department of the Army Acquisition Regulations,
- Department of the Interior Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of the Navy Acquisition Regulations,
- Department of the Treasury Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of Transportation (DOT) Acquisition Regulation,
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Acquisition Regulation,
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acquisition Regulation,
- General Services Administration (GSA) Acquisition Regulation,
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) FAR Supplement,
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission Acquisition Regulation,
- Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Federal Employees Health Benefits Acquisition Regulation,
- Office of Personnel Management Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Federal Acquisition Social Security Acquisition Regulation (SSAR),
- U.S. Agency for International Development Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR).
Government procurement fraud can take many forms, including:
- Price-fixing
- Collecting full payment while failing to fulfill all contractual obligations
- Deceitful billing
- Falsifying information to deceive the government into entering a contract
- Misstating the cost of supplies, labor, and materials
- Submitting false data justifying an engineering change proposal (ECP)
- Failure to test goods provided to the government
- Overcharging for supplies, labor, and materials
- Withholding cost/pricing data required under the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA) to increase profit (common for fixed price contracts)
- Bid rigging and collusion
- False certification that goods provided pursuant to a government procurement contract meet the contractual requirements
- Failure to furnish complete, accurate, and current pricing or cost data to the government
- Failure to disclose bids from subcontractors that could impact net income and costs
- Failure by prime contractor to police the fraudulent actions of subcontractors
You May Be Eligible for a Cash Reward Under the False Claims Act
Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. is committed to fighting for whistleblowers in their efforts to fight fraud. We are here to answer any questions you may have about the False Claims Act, help you through the claims process, and explain the protections you are afforded as a whistleblower. Under the False Claims Act, you may be entitled to a reward of between 15 percent and 30 percent of the government’s total recovery from a verdict or settlement.
If you suspect that fraud has been or is being committed against the federal government, get in touch with a whistleblower lawyer in Washington, DC. Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C.
Consultations are provided free of charge when you call us at (202) 659-8600.
Your consultation is privileged and confidential. Because extremely strict time deadlines apply
to filing a whistleblower claim, please contact us at your earliest convenience.
