Partners Erik Swabb, Joel Green, Alyssa DaCunha and Edward O’Callaghan discuss the unique challenges that OIG investigations pose for government contractors and organizations that receive federal funds in an expert analysis article published by Law360.
Excerpt: In November, the federal government announced the expansion of its Procurement Collusion Strike Force with the addition of four new members — the offices of inspectors general at the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The expansion was the latest sign of the growing importance of investigations by inspectors general.
"Recent legislation will finance billions of dollars for government procurements and grants," said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division at the time of the announcement. A Nov. 15 DOJ statement said, "Expanding the PCSF's national partnership to include these critical offices will better position the PCSF to protect taxpayer dollars and combat collusion in government spending."
In August, President Joe Biden signed into law the CHIPS and Science Act, which, among other actions, provides $52.7 billion for American semiconductor research, development, manufacturing and workforce development.[1]
Afterward, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that companies seeking funding under the law would be required to certify the accuracy of information provided to the government.[2]
