This week’s episode covers DOJ’s Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, a new Disruptive Technology Strike Force, and a bid protest involving evaluation of a joint venture’s past performance, and is hosted by Peter Eyre and Yuan Zhou. Crowell & Moring’s “Fastest 5 Minutes” is a biweekly podcast that provides a brief summary of significant government contracts legal
On February 22, 2023, United States Attorneys for the Southern and Eastern District of New York announced a new, nationwide United States Attorneys’ Offices Voluntary Self-Disclosure (“VSD”) Policy. The policy applies to all United States Attorney’s Offices and is effective immediately. The implementation of the policy follows Deputy Attorney General Monaco’s September 15, 2022 memorandum instructing each component of the Department of Justice that prosecutes corporate crime to review, or draft and publicly share its policies on corporate voluntary self-disclosure and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr’s remarks on revisions to the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement Policy. The VSD policy incentivizes companies to voluntarily disclose misconduct and offers significant benefits for timely disclosure.
Continue Reading New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy for All United States Attorney’s Offices
In this episode, hosts Michael Shaheen and Jason Crawford discuss the Department of Justice’s recently announced False Claims Act (FCA) recovery statistics for fiscal year 2022. The podcast breaks down last year’s FCA activity—which included a record number of new matters—and considers what the trends could portend for fraud enforcement in the year to come.
On February 7, 2023, the Department of Justice issued the False Claims Act (FCA) recovery statistics for fiscal year 2022. While the $2.2 billion recovered by the Department and qui tam relators was down from the prior year, 2022 saw a record number of new FCA matters initiated. Underscoring the flurry of FCA activity, there
The Department of Justice has announced a $14 million False Claims Act (FCA) settlement with Coloplast, a medical product manufacturer, after Coloplast self-disclosed violations of the Trade Agreements Act (TAA) and Price Reduction Clause (PRC) while under contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The TAA requires contractors to furnish end products that are U.S.-made or “substantially transformed” in designated countries. Coloplast disclosed that it misapplied the substantial-transformation standard, causing Coloplast to report incorrect countries of origin for products and to improperly retain certain products on contract after manufacturing moved to non-designated countries. Coloplast also disclosed that it overbilled the Government by failing to provide the VA with discounts pursuant to the terms of the PRC, which normally requires tracking discounts offered to designated commercial customers and offering corresponding downward price adjustments to VA customers.
Continue Reading FCA Settlement Offers Reminder of the Importance of TAA and PRC Compliance
This week’s episode covers a new executive order sharpening the current U.S. foreign investment screening process, important updates to DOJ’s criminal enforcement policy, and new software supply chain security requirements from OMB, and is hosted by Peter Eyre and Yuan Zhou. Crowell & Moring’s “Fastest 5 Minutes” is a biweekly podcast that provides a brief
On September 12, 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the first-ever settlement with a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) lender. The lender, Prosperity Bank, agreed to pay $18,673.50 to resolve allegations it improperly processed a PPP loan on behalf of an ineligible applicant. The announcement coincides with DOJ’s creation of three COVID-19 fraud “Strike Force” teams designed to enhanced DOJ’s efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, lenders who originated PPP loans were entitled to receive a fixed fee from the Small Business Administration (SBA) ranging from 1% to 5% of the loan amount. Prosperity Bank, a regional bank with branches throughout Texas and Oklahoma, was one of those lenders.
On April 21, 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) inked its second civil settlement resolving allegations of fraud involving loans issued pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Sandeep S. Walia, M.D., a Professional Medical Corporation (Walia PMC), and its owner, Dr. Walia, agreed to pay $70,000 in damages and penalties to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act (FCA) tied to allegations that Dr. Walia falsely certified in a second PPP loan application that his medical practice had not previously received a PPP loan after it had already received one from a different lender. Walia PMC also agreed to repay the second PPP loan for $430,000. This latest settlement is a continued reflection of the heightened scrutiny of the PPP, and suggests that the FCA may quickly become a favored enforcement tool by the government in its continued pursuit of PPP-related fraud.
Continue Reading Avoiding Loan Forgiveness Is No Shield from False Claims Act Liability in Latest Paycheck Protection Program Fraud Settlement
In the latest phase of a case proving that there is no amount of anticompetitive activity too small to escape prosecution, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice is continuing its efforts to thwart anticompetitive activity in public procurements, striking a plea deal with a Missouri individual in connection with rigging bids at online
As part of its annual Spring Update, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice touted the expansion and early success of its Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), both in coordinating efforts among local, state, and federal enforcers and in leveraging the resources and skills of those stakeholders to identify potential antitrust violations in government procurements. The DOJ stood up the PCSF in late 2019 with a team of United States Attorneys’ offices from 13 districts and investigative and law enforcement agents from five partner agencies, including the FBI, the Department of Defense, the GSA, and the U.S. Postal Service; it now boasts 22 U.S. Attorneys’ offices, as well as new “like-minded” partners from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Department of Homeland Security OIG.
Continue Reading Antitrust Division Praises Early Success and Heralds New Endeavors for Procurement Collusion Strike Force