Print Story: Firms defraud government but get new US contracts – Yahoo! News — Cripes, what next?

Companies that defrauded the United States and jeopardized American lives received new government work despite rulings designed to stop them from receiving federal contracts, government investigators report.

Payments went to a company whose president tried to sell nuclear bomb parts to North Korea, a company that jeopardized lives on the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, and a seller of body armor that the Air Force said was defective.

The companies were on a government database of 70,000 individuals and businesses suspended or barred by various U.S. agencies from receiving government contract work.

The Government Accountability Office blamed some of the mistakes on faulty computer searches by officials who left out commas or periods. But it also said the search engine for the database often failed to identify any of the entries on the exclusion list.

A hypothetical suspended company named XYZ Corp., Inc. — with a comma — would escape detection if one searched for XYZ Corp. Inc. — without the comma — the report said.

The investigators found a staggering list of offenses by companies awarded new contracts. They included use of fictitious Social Security numbers, massive tax fraud, delivery of faulty parts for the military, false filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, use of insider information to bid on federal contracts, and Medicare fraud.

Found by William Taylor.




  1. Uncle Patso says:

    # 11 Winston regaled us with this URL to an interesting article (it’s not too long; I recommend reading it):

    http://market-ticker.org/archives/835-Remarks-Of-TickerGuy.html

    I’d like to say I agree with the guy, except wherever he says “conservative” I’d substitute “American.”

    – – – – –

    Meanwhile, # 21 LibertyLover said

    “Take away the money, the incentive, and this problem will be substantially reduced, if not outright eliminated.”

    Well, they’ve certainly done that — the money’s gone. Now what?

    Our government has turned into a big wuss. Oh, sure, if you’re a country and you insult us, we’ll bomb your brown asses, but if you’re a corporation we’re on YOUR side, against those pesky American people. Everywhere enforcement has become a joke. Just look at all the ads on TV for companies that will get the IRS to settle for pennies on the dollar for taxes you owe. They call these people customers or clients; I call them shameless CROOKS, LIARS and THIEVES. Likewise law firms that specialize in overturning your being denied disability benefits, and who knows what all else.

    It seems to me there was always an undercurrent of this in American society, but it REALLY took off when Oliver North, showing NO remorse and NO shame, said “There are some things more important than the law,” and crooks and grifters everywhere stood up and said “YES! I’M GONNA GET ME SOMMA THAT STUFF!” All you have to do is look at how 50% to 75% of people drive (especially those in SUVs) to realize they all think they are more important than the law, than all the other drivers, than you, than me.

    Is it too late for our society? If it really is 50% to 75% of people who feel/believe/act this way, then maybe we have finally completely turned into the Roman Empire. I wonder who will be our Goths and Vandals…

  2. qsabe says:

    And it is all Obamas fault. He has had his 30 days in office, throw the bum out. Restore the righteous religious right. People who don’t have their head bowed praying keep seeing things they shouldn’t see.

  3. ECA says:

    31,
    back in the 70’s I used to see notices in the paper, about WHAT was being BID ON, and many would send in the BIDS..

    Problem was getting the requirements for the BID, or even filling out the paper work, or EVEN FINDING IT..
    BIDS took time to compare and soforth, and it kept getting HARDER, so FEWER bid.
    regulations, requirements, PAPER WORK keep getting worse.

  4. MikeN says:

    Kind of like politicians committing crimes and getting reelected.


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