We took a break from SmallGovCon Week In Review last week to take time and relax over the 4th of July holiday and enjoy some fireworks! Here’s hoping that you and yours enjoyed the holidays, as well.
If you were too busy with Independence Day festivities to keep up with government contracting news, no worries. We have you covered, with stories about a major False Claims Act settlement, a nearly four-year prison sentence for kickbacks, and campaign contributions by federal contractors, among other developments.
- After violating the federal False Claims Act VMware Inc. and its partner Carahsoft have agreed to pay $75.5 million. [Silicon Valley Business Journal]
- DoD isn’t complying with the rules set in place to curb contractor estimate deficiencies. [FierceGovernment]
- Top-performing Agriculture Department, which earned an “A” rating for small business contracting, has a focus on rural America, smart spending and a commitment to minority rights. [Government Executive]
- Wire fraud, among other illegal activities, has landed a former VA employee in prison for accepting more than $1.2 million in kickback payments. [Maplewood Patch]
- A victory was handed over to U.S. companies that avoid taxes by claiming a foreign address allowing virtually all of them to remain eligible for government contracts. [BloombergBusiness]
- A federal court has upheld a 75-year old prohibition on campaign contributions by individual federal contractors. [Government Executive]