On February 22, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (VSDP) which, effective immediately, applies to all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) nationwide with respect to corporate criminal...more
As Republicans assume control of the U.S. House of Representatives, China-related issues are poised to be a key caucus priority and likely a rare area of bipartisan cooperation in a narrowly divided and highly polarized...more
1/23/2023
/ China ,
Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Cybersecurity ,
Human Rights ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
National Security ,
Supply Chain ,
Technology ,
Trade Relations ,
US Trade Policies
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....more
12/21/2022
/ Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Department of the Interior ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Procurement Systems ,
Fraud ,
Fraudulent Procurement ,
Government Investigations ,
Investigations ,
OIG ,
Public Contracts
Among the many important themes in his March 1, 2022, State of the Union address, President Joe Biden declared that “the watchdogs are back,” when he announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would appoint a Chief...more
On June 22, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis held a hearing titled “U.S. Economy On The Path To Strong Recovery.” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testified regarding the Fed’s emergency pandemic...more
6/24/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Downturn ,
FEMA ,
Fraud ,
Main Street Lending Programs ,
OSHA ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Attorneys General ,
Vaccinations ,
Veterans Administration
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis continues its investigation into PPP fraud. On May 27, the Select Subcommittee turned its focus to FinTech firms and partner banks implicated in Department of Justice...more
6/11/2021
/ CARES Act ,
Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Consent Order ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
FinTech ,
Fraud ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
SIGPR ,
State Attorneys General ,
Vaccinations
On June 3, 2021, President Biden issued a National Security Memorandum establishing the fight against corruption both at home and abroad as a core United States national security interest and directing the development of a...more
6/9/2021
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Biden Administration ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Foreign Corporations ,
Government Agencies ,
National Security ,
NDAA ,
Patriot Act ,
Presidential Memorandum ,
Transparency
On May 26, SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman began a series of hearings on the Hill that will continue through May 28. On May 26, she testified before the House Committee on Small Business in a hearing titled “An...more
6/1/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
OSHA ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
SBA ,
SBA Lending Programs ,
TRIPS Agreement ,
Vaccinations ,
Waivers
House Education and Labor Committee Chair Robert C. Scott (D-VA) issued a statement on May 18 criticizing the Biden Administration’s decision to use “the honor system” to report coronavirus vaccination status. He said, “One...more
5/20/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Fraud ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Joint Task Force ,
OSHA ,
Oversight Committee ,
Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
SIGPR ,
State Attorneys General ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
As part of its ongoing investigation into the Federal Reserve’s administration of pandemic relief lending programs, House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Chair James E. Clyburn sent a letter to Fed Chair Jerome...more
5/14/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Main Street Lending Programs ,
Municipal Liquidity Facility (MLF) ,
OSHA ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
SBA ,
State Attorneys General ,
Trump Administration ,
White Collar Crimes ,
Workplace Safety
The Congressional Oversight Commission released its 12th report on April 30. The report focuses on a $700 million loan to trucking company Yellow Corporation (formerly known as YRC Worldwide) under the CARES Act loan program...more
5/7/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
CARES Act ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Collection ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Fraud ,
Government Investigations ,
Information Reports ,
Legal Opinion ,
National Security ,
Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) ,
OSHA ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Restaurant Industry ,
SIGPR ,
State Attorneys General
Pressure is increasing on the Biden Administration to release the delayed Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to protect workers from COVID-related risks. On April 26, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Rashida Tlaib...more
4/30/2021
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Educational Institutions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Fraud ,
Immigration and Nationality Act ,
OMB ,
OSHA ,
Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) ,
State Attorneys General ,
US-Mexico Border Wall ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On April 21, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation held a hearing entitled “Prepare for Takeoff: America’s Safe Return to Air Travel.” The...more
4/23/2021
/ Airlines ,
Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fraud ,
Inspector General ,
Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Price-Fixing ,
State Attorneys General
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis released documents showing President Trump’s political appointees discussing their efforts to exert influence over the CDC’s COVID-19 guidelines and reports to more...more
4/16/2021
/ Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Indictments ,
OSHA ,
Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) ,
Presidential Nominations ,
SIGPR ,
Trump Administration ,
Virus Testing
As part of its ongoing investigation into pandemic-related government contracts entered into by the Trump Administration, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis released documents that offer a real-time look...more
4/9/2021
/ CARES Act ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Fraud ,
Fraud Abuse and Waste ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Price Gouging ,
Public Contracts ,
SIGPR ,
Small Business ,
Trump Administration ,
Vaccinations
As part of an ongoing investigation into a “failed” $35 million contract to provide six million N95 masks to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Chair James Clyburn...more
3/25/2021
/ CARES Act ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Fraud ,
Nursing Homes ,
OSHA ,
SBA ,
SBA Lending Programs
On March 15, the SBA Office of the Inspector General published a report identifying $692 million in duplicate PPP loans. This confirmed earlier findings made by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis in...more
3/18/2021
/ Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans ,
Fraud ,
Inspector General ,
OSHA ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Price Gouging ,
SIGPR ,
State Attorneys General ,
Trump Administration ,
Wire Fraud
Republican leaders urged their House Democrat counterparts to hold a joint hearing regarding the undercounting of COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing homes. The letter was signed by Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Cathy...more
3/12/2021
/ Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fraud ,
Nursing Homes ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General ,
Wire Fraud
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis launched an investigation into One Medical’s COVID-19 vaccine-distribution practices. In a letter, Subcommittee Chair James Clyburn (D-SC) highlighted the need for...more
3/5/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Capital Requirements ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Fraud ,
Nursing Homes ,
OSHA ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Vaccinations
On her first day as Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said she would ask the FTC to look into N95 mask fraud, including 1.9 million counterfeits shipped to...more
2/19/2021
/ Amazon ,
CARES Act ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Counterfeiting ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fraud ,
Identity Theft ,
Indictments ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
State Attorneys General ,
Workplace Safety
The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis sent letters to the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services summarizing initial results of the panel’s investigation into the previous administration’s...more
House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Chair James Clyburn (D-SC) released a statement following a new report from the Government Accountability Office on the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The report...more
2/5/2021
/ Attorney General ,
Biden Administration ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Congressional Reports ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Executive Orders ,
Fraud ,
GAO ,
Information Reports ,
OSHA ,
SIGPR
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said the House is planning to bring a coronavirus relief bill to a vote the first week of February. On the Senate side, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he aims to secure passage of the...more
President Biden will seek quick Senate approval of his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, the American Rescue Plan. The package includes more than $400 billion to combat the pandemic directly, including money to...more
Congress has been focused this past week on the aftermath of the January 6 attack on the Capitol, and the 232-197 vote to impeach President Trump for a second time, on a charge of “incitement of insurrection.” Meanwhile,...more