By Jonathan S. Aronie and Christopher M. Loveland

Search for the phrase False Claims Act on the Internet, and you will be hit with a barrage of websites telling you how easy it is to bring a fraud case against a Government contractor. Sadly, these websites are right. The bar to bringing FCA claims has been lowered to such an extent over the past 5-10 years that the Act practically invites frivolous lawsuits. Thus, it is with great pleasure that we report that at least one court – the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts – has taken a step toward restoring at least some common sense to application of the statute.
 

Continue Reading Finally, A Ruling That Applies Some Common Sense To The False Claims Act

By Jonathan S. Aronie  & Christopher Noon

Over the years, contracting officers have exhibited a promiscuous tendency to include non-Schedule items in GSA Schedule purchases. The many GSA Schedule procurements seeking $10,000 in Schedule items and $50,000 in non-Schedule “incidental” items did not go unnoticed by the OIG. The primary concern being that those $50,000 items should be properly competed – something that many agencies sought to avoid through their use of the Schedules program.
 

Continue Reading When Does A Free Item NOT Fall Below The Micro-Purchase Threshold?