Contractors

October 8, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today enacted a series of new measures to rein in the government’s use of private security contractors as part of its annual bill to authorize Department of Defense operations. Congressman David Price (D-NC) strongly applauded the measures, several of which closely parallel legislation authored by Price in the 111th Congress.

“Contractors need to be accountable, and that means more transparency is necessary,” Congressman Price said. “We need to ensure that contractors operate within the bounds of the law and that sensitive operations like the interrogation of detainees are conducted by our military.”    » read more »

Amendment would require contractors to fix dangerous deficiencies, such as improperly grounded electrical wires, they discover that threaten the safety of military personnel and contractor employees

October 2, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC- Last night, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) to hold contractors accountable for the safety of their employees and U.S. service members overseas. This legislation was introduced after shoddy electrical work lead to the deaths of soldier and contractors    » read more »

Addresses Electrocutions and Other Risks to Safety

October 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) spoke on the Senate floor and introduced an amendment to the FY2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill that would hold contractors accountable for the safety of military personnel while serving abroad. Senator Casey introduced this legislation after shoddy electrical work lead to the deaths of a soldier and a contractor with ties to Pennsylvania while showering in Iraq.    » read more »

Senator expressed concerns regarding oversight of contractors and security risks in war zone

September 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Continuing her fight for better oversight of federal government contracting, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today questioned Admiral (ADM) Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on whether lessons learned from Iraq are being applied to contracting practices in Afghanistan.    » read more »

August 25, 2009 -- WASHINGTON—Lee William Dubois, a former Department of Defense (DoD) contractor, was sentenced today to three years in prison for his participation in a scheme to steal fuel worth approximately $39.6 million from the U.S. Army in Iraq, announced Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Dana J. Boente.    » read more »

Two Military Officials Plead Guilty to Bribery, Fraud and Conspiracy Related to Defense Contracts in Afghanistan; Third Military Official Pleads Guilty to Receiving Stolen Property

June 19, 2009 -- Four Contractors and Four Contracting Companies Also Charged with Related Crimes

Two U.S. military officials pleaded guilty to various bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges relating to Department of Defense (DOD) contracts in Afghanistan. A third military official pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property, which was obtained through the bribery conspiracy. In addition, four DOD contractors and four affiliated contracting companies were indicted for their roles in paying bribes to the military officials and otherwise defrauding the United States.    » read more »

Lebanese Contracting Company Also Charged in Conspiracy

April 9, 2009 -- WASHINGTON—Two Department of Defense (DOD) contractors were charged with conspiracy and bribery relating to their roles involving DOD contracts in Afghanistan, the Department of Justice today announced. A Lebanese contracting company is also charged with participating in the same conspiracy.    » read more »

Widespread Practice Cheats Workers, Taxpayers and Companies That Play by the Rules

May, 2008 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – New legislation to prevent corporations from abusing workers and cheating taxpayers has the Teamsters’ strong support, General President Jim Hoffa said Thursday.

The Employee Misclassification Prevention Act of 2008 will make it harder for employers to improperly classify employees as “independent contractors.”

“This scam robs 10 million American workers of overtime and benefits,” Hoffa said. “Companies are forcing workers to pay for their own fuel, repairs and uniforms by illegally classifying them as independent contractors.    » read more »

May 22, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC – The following is a statement from Change to Win executive director Greg Tarpinian on the introduction today of federal legislation to prevent the misclassification of employees as independent contractors.

“Change to Win applauds the introduction of the Employee Misclassification Prevention Act of 2008. This legislation will go a long way to prevent and redress theft by unscrupulous companies that misclassify their employees as independent contractors in order to deny them legal wages and benefits.    » read more »

May 22, 2008 -- Clayton, Mo. - The owner of a St. Louis repair business was arrested today and charged with defrauding area homeowners by not completing repairs or honoring warranties paid for by consumers. Kenneth J. Mers (DOB - 7/30/70), the owner of AMRP Construction, was indicted on three counts of unlawful merchandising practices by a St. Louis County grand jury last year at the request of Attorney General Jay Nixon.

Mers was originally arrested last September and held in the Jefferson County jail. On May 16, he was sentenced to five years probation on two counts of stealing by deceit and one count passing a bad check in Jefferson County. Upon his release on probation, Mers was rearrested to face the unlawful merchandising practices charges in St. Louis County.    » read more »

May 20, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill praised the Bush Administration for beginning the process to close a loophole in a proposed federal regulation that would have exempted federal contractors who carry out their contracts overseas from being required to self-report criminal activity they are involved in.    » read more »

WASHINGTON -- May 16, 2008 – Three measures sponsored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to hold private security contractors and war profiteers accountable under U.S. law for the first time were approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday afternoon and included in the Senate version of the emergency supplemental spending bill for Iraq, Afghanistan, and key domestic programs.

Blackwater protesters, Seattle: Photo by Robert Whitlock (CC)    » read more »

May 6, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton issued the following statement on a recent report that substandard maintenance work performed by a government contractor in Iraq may have led to deaths of several of our troops stationed there and the severe injuries of many more:    » read more »

April 28, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on the Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing entitled Contracting Abuses in Iraq: Is the Bush Administration Safeguarding American Taxpayer Dollars?

Blackwater helicopter over Republican Palace, Iraq: Photo by James Gordon (CC)

In March, Obama and Senator John Kerry introduced the Fair Share Act of 2008 (S.2775), which would increase accountability and transparency of our tax system by closing a tax loophole to prevent Federal contractors from using foreign affiliates or tax shelters to avoid paying payroll taxes.    » read more »

April 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC – The following is a statement from Change to Win executive director Greg Tarpinian on the introduction yesterday of federal legislation to prevent the misclassification of employees as independent contractors.

“Change to Win applauds the introduction of the Taxpayer Responsibility, Accountability, and Consistency Act by U.S. Reps. Jim McDermott, Richard Neal, and John Tierney. This long-overdue legislation will clamp down on companies that have turned tax fraud into a business model.

“Genuine independent contractors and entrepreneurs have an important place in our economy and the workforce. But when unscrupulous companies cut corners and misclassify their employees as independent contractors, they are swindling everyone.    » read more »