How Contractor Fraud Is Reported Shouldn't Affect How It Gets Investigated

As former federal prosecutors, we understand first-hand the need to address fraud in the federal procurement/government contracting space. While the vast majority of federal contractors are dedicated to their craft and their country, a very few wrongdoers occasionally cast a shadow on the industry as a whole. Unfortunately, the way that the government resolves fraud allegations is often dictated not by the egregiousness of the fraud but rather by how the government learns of suspected wrongdoing. Given this inconsistency, we suggest a more uniform approach to addressing whistleblower allegations.

As many defense contractors have painfully learned over the years, the world of federal procurement regulations is complicated, evolving, and perilous. Even technical violations of procurement regulations can bring stiff consequences. And, more and more, employees at federal contractors are speaking up when they see wrongdoing. We applaud these employees for taking their job responsibilities seriously. And, when an employee sees wrongdoing, he or she should report it.

The complete article, "How Contractor Fraud Is Reported Shouldn’t Affect How It Gets Investigated," appeared on defenseone.com on October 3, 2018.