Preparing for Major Changes to DOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise DBE Program
Construction Webinar Series: The Infrastructure Bill’s Impact on DOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program
DOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program: What Large and Small Construction Contractors Need to Know
On May 22, the Supreme Court in Kousisis, et al., v. United States, affirmed the convictions of a painting subcontractor and its owner (defendants) under the federal wire fraud statute for conspiring to defraud the Department...more
Case Summary - In Kousisis v. United States, the Supreme Court addressed whether a defendant can be convicted under the federal wire fraud statute without causing the victim a net pecuniary loss....more
The U.S. DOT agrees to end contract goals for DBEs. In 1983, Congress enacted the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program, which requires that the Department of Transportation spend ten percent of federal highway...more
In Mid-America Milling Company v. United States Department of Transportation, Case No. 3:23-cv-00072 (“Mid-America”), the Plaintiffs challenged the United States Department of Transportation’s (“DOT”) use of a rebuttable...more
Recent legal challenges jeopardize the future of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, a long-standing initiative designed to support minority- and women-owned businesses in...more
On September 23, 2024, in Mid-America Milling Company et. al. v. United States Department of Transportation, et. al., Case No. 3:23-cv-00072, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky (the...more
Share on Twitter Share by Email Share Back to top On May 22, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a significant decision in Kousisis v. United States, affirming a six-year prison sentence for a contractor convicted of federal...more
After the government issued the new Disadvantaged Business Enterprise regulations in April 2024, many folks have been waiting to see how the U.S. Department of Transportation’s DBE program office will interpret the new...more
As a result of the federal government’s clear directives against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that put the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (“DBE”), 8(a) Business Development Program, Woman-Owned Small Business (“WOSB”),...more
Within hours of taking office, President Trump executed two executive orders aimed at rescinding former President Biden’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)-focused orders. Trump’s orders reached beyond actions by the...more
I have previously blogged about the legal challenge to the DBE program taking place in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, where several non-DBE firms are challenging the constitutionality...more
Welcome to your monthly rundown of all things administrative law, where we highlight all the happenings you may have missed....more
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has enacted two Executive Orders aimed at eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) programs from all aspects of...more
On December 9, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral argument in Kousisis v. United States. The case squarely assesses the validity of the “fraudulent inducement” theory of mail and wire fraud under federal...more
Last week, six organizations who represent Disadvantaged Business Enterprises moved to intervene in Mid-America Milling Company, LLC, et al. v. United States Department of Transportation, Case No. 3:23-cv-0072-GFVT-EBA. In...more
On January 20, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.” The order states that it ends “all discriminatory and illegal preferences,...more
On Friday, January 24, 2025, the National Association of Minority Contractors (“NAMC”); Women First National Legislative Committee; Airport Minority Advisory Council (“AMAC”); Women Construction Owners & Executives, Illinois...more
As many of you know, federal contracting programs aimed at leveling the playing field for diverse and women-owned businesses have been under legal attack. An incredible number of small businesses rely heavily on these...more
District of Columbia AG Brian Schwalb has settled with Intralot, Inc. and Veterans Services Corporation (VSC) to resolve an investigation into allegations that the companies deceived city officials in violation of the...more
Welcome to our year-end issue of The Site Report! As always, the construction industry is ever-changing and is impacted by extreme weather, new technology, labor issues, material and supply chain restraints, and code changes....more
In a significant ruling that could reshape federal contracting, a federal district court in the Eastern District of Kentucky has granted a preliminary injunction against key aspects of the United States Department of...more
On December 9, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Kousisis v. United States, a case that asks the Supreme Court to significantly narrow the scope of what behavior constitutes a federal criminal fraud....more
It may seem obvious that construction companies and federal agencies, such as the Department of Transportation, are to adhere to the federal regulatory statutes for federally funded construction projects, but you would be...more