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Contractor Accountability
To ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly the government must regularly monitor and audit contracts. Contract administration should not end after the contract is awarded -- taxpayers deserve more.
Related Resources (government documents and letters)
POGO Files
POGO Submits Brief Raising Concerns About GSA Contracts
September 2, 2010
POGO Advocates for Additional Protections When Considering Work Performed by Government or Contractor Employees
June 1, 2010
Contract Spending: Escaping the Dark Ages
May 20, 2010
Senate Considers Improvements to FAPIIS
May 12, 2010
Lockheed Still Tops Misconduct Charts, But No Misconduct Pattern for Over a Third of Top Gov't Contractors
April 23, 2010
POGO Letter Urging GSA to Improve Contractor Listings
April 22, 2010
DCAA auditors need independence
April 4, 2010
Administration Takes Careful Look at Work Performed by Government and Private Sector Employees
March 31, 2010
POGO Letter to Senate Committees Regarding DCAA Reforms
March 2, 2010
POGO joins letter to President Obama urging needed contractor reforms
February 26, 2010
POGO Supports Intent of "High Road" Contracting Policies
February 26, 2010
Obama to Federal Contractors: Tax Cheats Beware
January 20, 2010
Contractor conflict of interest rule needs improvement
January 12, 2010
Removing DCAA Director Won't Fix the Agency's Problems
October 26, 2009
Majority of Top Contractors Could be Defunded by House Legislation A survey of data from POGO's Federal Contractor Misconduct Database shows that 62 federal contractors have been involved in instances that might prohibit them from receiving future federal funds if the "Defund ACORN Act" becomes law.
September 29, 2009
List of Contractors That Could be Defunded as a Result of Anti-ACORN Bill
September 29, 2009
POGO Supports Whistleblower Review
September 17, 2009
Testimony of Danielle Brian before the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan
September 14, 2009
POGO Statement on ArmorGroup Whistleblower Lawsuit Filed Today: State Department Accountability Remains Key Management Issue
September 10, 2009
POGO Statement on Kabul Embassy Guard Firings
September 4, 2009
Retaliation: Whistleblower Allegedly Forced Out After Helping To Expose Guard Scandal At U.S. Embassy Kabul
September 3, 2009
Failed Oversight and Management of Security Contract at U.S Embassy in Afghanistan
September 1, 2009
Federal Contractors Beware
August 21, 2009
Obama Outlines Contracting Reforms
March 4, 2009
POGO's Scott Amey Testifies on Hill about Suspension and Debarment System Failures
February 26, 2009
POGO Calls for Ban on Risky Contractors in Hill Testimony
February 26, 2009
POGO Releases Previously Unavailable Government Report Detailing Recommendations to Reduce Procurement Fraud
January 12, 2009
Protest of Latest Deepwater Contract Confirms Need for Contractor Responsibility Database
October 10, 2008
POGO Salutes Good Government Legislation
September 30, 2008
POGO Reacts to Senate Hearing on Defense Oversight Agency
September 11, 2008
Secretary Rumsfeld’s Decision Undermined by DCMA to Benefit Lockheed
September 8, 2008
DCAA Responds to GAO Report on Auditing Controversy
August 12, 2008
House Dems Introduce Corporate Monitor Oversight Bill
July 16, 2008
New Wartime Contracting Commission Members Named
June 20, 2008
POGO Proposes Additional Improvements To Ensure That Contractors Have A Satisfactory Performance Record
June 2, 2008
Parsons Corp. Goes Back to School in the Big Easy
May 23, 2008
A Taxing Time on the Hill for Contractors
May 21, 2008
An "A" for Contracting Accountability
April 21, 2008
Feds Reverse Course: Some Crime Not OK
April 3, 2008
GAO: Bad Problems Worsen with Pentagon Programs
March 31, 2008
Conflicts of Interest Rules Causing Conflicts
March 28, 2008
DOJ Issues Guidelines on Corporate Monitors
March 11, 2008
Contractors are more than a shadow government
March 11, 2008
Testimony of POGO's Scott Amey on the Status of Contracting Reform
February 27, 2008
POGO letter to Senators Webb and McCaskill supporting "The Commission on Wartime Contracting Act" (S.1825)
September 17, 2007
Testimony before Defense Acquisition Review Panel should not be limited to defense contractors
September 2, 2005
POGO provides additional information to the panel reviewing the government's buying system
August 30, 2005
Acquisition Panel cuts off testimony about problems with the government’s buying system
August 19, 2005
POGO opposes industry-driven effort to further remove contract oversight and provisions that protect taxpayers
May 10, 2005
Contracting Advisory Panel Deck Stacked; Panel Violates Federal Advisory Committee Act
January 31, 2005
Economic Impacts of the National Security Build-up: Government Procurement Practices
November 8, 2002
Defense Waste & Fraud Camouflaged As Reinventing Government
September 1, 1999
POGO letter to President Clinton regarding cost over runs of Superconducting Super Collider
June 7, 1993
The Superconducting Super Collider's Super Excesses
January 1, 1993
Related Resources
GAO vs. DCAA - And the Winner is?... Contractors!
By Richard C. Loeb, Government Contractor Cost Pricing & Accounting Report, Volume 5, Issue 2, published by West Publishing, a Thompson Reuters Company
March 1, 2010
Senators McCaskill, Collins, and Bennett's letter to Department of State regarding the allegations of whistleblower retaliation
, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Senator Susan Collins, Senator Robert Bennett
September 16, 2009
McCaskill Questions Chairman of the Joint Chiefs on Contracting in Afghanistan
, Press Office of Senator Claire McCaskill
September 15, 2009
McCaskill Statement On Wartime Contracting Commission Hearing On Kabul Embassy Contract
, Press Office of Senator Claire McCaskill
September 14, 2009
C-Span Video: Commission on Wartime Contracting Hearing on State Dept. Hiring Practices
, C-Span (follow the video links to watch the 3 sessions of witnesses)
September 14, 2009
Testimony of Terry Pearson
, Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan
September 14, 2009
U.S. Department of State Response to POGO's September 1, 2009 letter regarding the U.S. Embassy in Kabul
, U.S. Department of State
September 8, 2009
U.S. Embassy Statement on Local Guard Force
, United States Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan
September 4, 2009
Wartime Contracting to probe State Department oversight and contractor-employee conduct
, Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan
September 4, 2009
State Department Daily Press Briefing Video
, State Department Press Secretary Ian Kelly
September 2, 2009
State Department Daily Press Briefing Transcript
, State Department Press Secretary Ian Kelly
September 2, 2009
State Department Daily Press Briefing Transcript
, State Department with Ian Kelly, Department Spokesman
September 1, 2009
Senator Claire McCaskill's letter to Dept. of State, Under Secretary for Management, Patrick Kennedy regarding the contractor employees performing guard security at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan
Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
September 1, 2009
State Department Daily Press Briefing Video
, State Department with Ian Kelly, Department Spokesman
September 1, 2009
DHS Compilation of Contractor Performance Databases
Elaine C. Duke, Chief Procurement Officer, Department of Homeland Security
August 7, 2007
DoD recommends awarding fees only when desired outcomes acheived
, Internal DoD Memo
April 4, 2006
What Has 35 Years of Acquisition Reform Accomplished?
by Thomas Christie, Proceedings
February 1, 2006
DOD Has Paid Billions in Award and Incentive Fees Regardless of Acquisition Outcomes
, Government Accountability Office
December 1, 2005
Contracting Officer Representatives: Managing the Government's Technical Experts to Achieve Positive Contract Outcomes
, Merit Systems Protection Board
December 1, 2005
POGO in the News
Defining 'inherently governmental' and role of contractors in U.S. war fight, By Joe Davidson, The Washington Post, June 22, 2010
Guard work defies easy labels, By Robert Brodsky, Government Executive, June 18, 2010
USAspending.gov makeover leaves room for improvement, By Emily Long, NextGov: Technology and the Business of Government, May 24, 2010
Federal acquisition councils anticipate mandate to increase transparency, By Robert Brodsky, Government Executive, GovExec.com, May 13, 2010
Contractor Misconduct Database updated, With Suzanne Kubota, Federal News Radio 1500 AM, April 27, 2010
Watchdog group seeks better-quality contract data, By Tom Spoth, Federal Times.com, April 23, 2010
POGO Takes Aim At Contractor Compensation, By Elizabeth Newell & Alyssa Rosenberg, GovExec.com, April 23, 2010
Cerberus to acquire DynCorp for $1 billion, By Kyle Peterson in Chicago, Andrea Shalal-Esa in Washington, and Steve Eder and Elinor Comlay in New York. Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Robert MacMillan and Tim Dobbyn, Reuters, April 12, 2010
DCAA auditors need independence, By POGO's Danielle Brian and Mandy Smithberger, Federal Times, April 4, 2010
Administration puts its stamp on 'inherently governmental', By Robert Brodsky, Government Executive, March 31, 2010
After yearlong study, House acquisition reform report called "symbolic" , By Kevin Baron, Stars and Stripes, March 25, 2010
A missed opportunity for accountablity from the Obama administration, By Matthew Weigelt, Federal Computer Week, March 24, 2010
Acquisition councils create database to track contractor misdeeds, By Elizabeth Newell, Government Executive, March 23, 2010
USPS official directs sole-source $4.5M contract to former colleague, By Stephen Losey, Federal Times, March 18, 2010
Government Contractors' Free Ride Is Over; Serious accountability is here to stay at last., By POGO's Scott Amey and Danielle Brian, Forbes.com; Ethisphere, March 16, 2010
The Nation: The Contractor Scofflaws, By William Greider, National Public Radio (NPR), March 8, 2010
Should better paying contractors have a competitive advantage?, By Matthew Weigelt, Washington Technology, February 26, 2010
POGO: Contracting executive order a positive step, With Chris Dorobek and Amy Morris, Federal News Radio, January 21, 2010
Former Blackwater Officials in NY Times: We Did Offbook Jobs for CIA, , , WKZO AM Radio, December 12, 2009
Top Pentagon auditor reassigned, By Elise Castelli, NavyTimes.com, October 27, 2009
Embattled DCAA director reassigned, By Elise Castelli, Federal Times, October 26, 2009
Contracting System Needs a Tune-Up, With Jim Williams and featuring POGO's Scott Amey, Federal News Radio 1500 AM, October 19, 2009
Price Soars on President's Helicopter Marine One, With Wolfe Blitzer, CNN - The Situation Room, October 7, 2009
Pentagon Fraud and the ACORN Standard, , Los Angeles Chronicle, October 2, 2009
Its Not Just ACORN, Says Congressman Grayson, By Katherine Wells, The Huffington Post, October 2, 2009
ACORN Donations Dwindle In Wake Of Videos, by Pam Fessler, NPR, All Things Considered, October 1, 2009
ACORN to lose funding?, With Dylan Ratigan, MSNBC TV Morning Meeting, October 1, 2009
Bills to Defund ACORN Face Legal Hurdles, Experts Say, , FoxNews.com, October 1, 2009
Defunding ACORN faces surprise hurdles, By Stephan Dinan, The Washington Times, September 30, 2009
Congress Cracks Down on Defense Fraud: But it was just by accident, By Ken Silverstein, Harper’s’ Magazine, September 30, 2009
Were ArmorGroup Allegations Quashed? State Department Inspector Gen.'s Office "Lost" Complaint against Troubled Security Co., By Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News, September 29, 2009
OOPS! The ACORN Ban Could Snag Lockheed & Catholic Charities, By Laura Flanders, The Nation Magazine; Blog: The Notion, September 25, 2009
Editorial: If you thought ACORN was bad ..., , Dallas Morning News, September 23, 2009
Podcast: POGO's Danielle Brian, , Private Military Herald podcast; PMH Radio, September 20, 2009
The business of war and profit: Aren’t we proud?, By Kelley Vlahos, The American Conservative Magazine, September 17, 2009
Not Just Whistling Dixie with Guest Terry Pearson, former U.S. contractor, With Rachel Maddow, The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, September 14, 2009
State Department contracting scandal: Kennedy on the hotseat, By Josh Rogin, Foreign Policy, September 14, 2009
State urged to cancel Kabul embassy security contract, By Elizabeth Newell, Government Executive Magazine, September 14, 2009
Embassy Scandal: A New Abu Ghraib?, By Dan Schulman, Mother Jones, September 14, 2009
POGO Blasts State Department Over ArmorGroup Oversight Before Wartime Contracting Commission, By Spencer Ackerman, Washington Independent, September 14, 2009
Official: Kabul Embassy Hazing Covered Up, By Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News Online, September 14, 2009
Official Says Contractor in Kabul May Be Ousted, By Ginger Thompson, The New York Times, September 14, 2009
State Department's Oversight of Security Contractors Is Scrutinized, By Mary Beth Sheridan, The Washington Post, September 13, 2009
Company Kept Kabul Security Contract Despite Record, By Ginger Thompson and Mark Landler, The New York Times, September 12, 2009
Whistleblower sues Afghanistan security contractor, By Charley Keyes, CNN, September 11, 2009
Ex-Manager: More Excesses By U.S. Embassy Guards, By Michele Keleman, National Public Radio, September 11, 2009
Afghan Embassy Scandal's Link to Cost-Cutting Security, By Ken Steir, TIME Magazine, September 11, 2009
Ex-managers: security firm cut corners at embassy, By RIichard Lardner, The Examiner; Associated Press, September 10, 2009
Embassy contractor faces new charges, By Jen DiMascio, Politico, September 10, 2009
2 Say They Reported Abuses at Embassy , By Ginger Thompson with Mark Landler, The New York Times, September 10, 2009
POGO Reacts to ArmorGroup Whistleblower Lawsuit, By Spencer Ackerman, The Washington Independent Online, September 10, 2009
Contractor integrity, performance to face higher level of scrutiny, By Jason Miller, Federal News Radio, September 4, 2009
Systemic Problems Found With State Department Contract With Kabul Embassy Security, By Spencer Ackerman, Washington Independent Online, September 4, 2009
Naked Pool Parties, Alleged Sex Acts at Kabul U.S. Embassy Force Out 10 Guards, By Megan Chuchmach and Nick Schifrin, ABC News The Blotter With Brian Ross, September 4, 2009
Concerned Foreign Service Officers: Photos Are An 'Ugly Manifestation' of State Department Contractor Culture, By Spencer Ackerman, The Washington Independent, September 3, 2009
First Person: 'Lewd Behavior' At U.S. Embassy, , Associated Press via YouTube, September 2, 2009
Contractor to Continue Work in Iraq Temporarily, By Mark Landler, New York Times, September 2, 2009
Afghan U.S. Embassy patrol in 'deviant' parties with booze, hookers - report, By Richard Sisk , New York Daily News, September 2, 2009
'Deviant hazing' alleged at U.S. Embassy in Kabul, , CNN.com/Asia, September 2, 2009
Contractors in Kabul accused of 'lewd and deviant behavior', By Gordon Lubold , Christian Science Monitor, September 2, 2009
Contractors Outnumber U.S. Troops In Afghanistan, by Kevin Whitelaw, NPR - National Public Radio, September 2, 2009
Life During Wartime: U.S. Embassy contractors gone wild?, , The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC, September 2, 2009
Watchdog questions security at U.S. Embassy in Kabul, By David Alexander, Reuters, September 1, 2009
Watchdog group alleges misbehavior by State Dept. security contractors, By Elise Castelli, Federal Times, September 1, 2009
Oversight Group Reports Security Flaws at U.S. Embassy in Kabul, , FoxNews Blog, September 1, 2009
'Lord of the Flies' in Kabul, By Jen Dimascio, Politico, September 1, 2009
Animal House in Afghanistan, By Daniel Schulman, Mother Jones, September 1, 2009
Allegations of misconduct by the private security company guarding the U.S. Embassy compound in Kabul, With Margaret Warner, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer (audio) Video is available here http://video.pbs.org/video/1236177496 (scroll until there's 27:57 left) , September 1, 2009
Guards Gone Wild in Kabul, With Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News, September 1, 2009
U.S. Embassy Guards Accused of Misconduct in Afghanistan, By Ann Scott Tyson, The Washington Post, September 1, 2009
Clinton told of security failings in Afghanistan, By Richard Lardner, Associated Press; Houston Chronicle, September 1, 2009
Watchdog Group: US Embassy Security in Kabul RiskySecurity Guards Overworked, Sleep-Deprived and Subject To Humiliating Hazing, Including Being Urinated On, Watchdog Says, , CBSNews, Online, September 1, 2009
Kabul Embassy Report, With Jill Dougherty, CNN, September 1, 2009
Group: US Embassy Guards in Kabul Are Mistreated , , Associated Press; The New York Times, September 1, 2009
POGO investigates abuses at U.S. Embassy in Kabul, By Frank Munger, Knoxnews.com, September 1, 2009
Blackwater tapped foreigners on secret CIA program, By Adam Goldman and Pamela Hess, Associated Press; ABC News, August 31, 2009
U.S. Still Using Security Firm It Broke With, By Mark Landler and Mark Mazzetti, New York Times, August 21, 2009
Acquisition reform recommendations run the gamut, By Robert Brodsky, Government Executive, June 16, 2009
The case to overhaul contractor evaluations, By Elise Castelli, Federal Times, June 1, 2009
Panel lays out roadmap to rebuild acquisition workforce, By Robert Brodsky, Government Executive, May 20, 2009
House contracting caucus tackles acquisition workforce issues, By Robert Brodsky, Government Executive Magazine, May 18, 2009
Senate Prepares to Pass Acquisitions Overhaul as House Starts Markup, By Josh Rogin and Matthew M. Johnson, Congressional Quarterly, May 6, 2009
War zone contracting termed huge 'failure', By Robin Acton, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, May 4, 2009
Did Pentagon lose billions, pennies at a time?, By Benjamin Shors, MSNBC, May 1, 2009
Firms run by Abbas's sons won $2 million in U.S. contracts, By Adam Entous, Reuters, April 22, 2009
Keep the price reduction clause, By Alice Lipowicz, Federal Computer Week, April 17, 2009
New deal for Blackwater bucks Baghdad decision, By Jim McElhatton, The Washington Times, March 17, 2009
U.S. Returns Some Funds to Iraq, By Ellen Nakashima, The Washington Post, March 17, 2009
Obama Supports Acquisition Reform Bill, By John M. Doyle, Aviation Week, March 5, 2009
President Orders Review of Federal Contracting System More Competition, Accountability for Procurement Sought, By Scott Wiilson and Robert O'Harrow, Jr., The Washington Post, March 5, 2009
Minding The Store; Oversight of contractors is lagging as their numbers increase, By Paul McLeary, Defense Technologly International, March 1, 2009
Helping Workers Now, By Gregory Kaufmann, The Nation, December 9, 2008
Report: Many service contract workers are underpaid, By Robert Brodsky, Government Executive, December 8, 2008
Group urges probe of DCMA activity on C-130J, By Elise Castelli, Federal Times, September 15, 2008
Checking on contractors' work, By Alice Lipowicz, Federal Computer Week, September 15, 2008
Contracting Audit Agency Target of Investigations, By Robert O'Harrow Jr. and Dana Hedgpeth, The Washington Post, September 10, 2008
Is DCAA cutting corners? , By Elise Castelli, Federal Times, September 9, 2008
DCMA assisted in lobby efforts, group charges, By Elise Castelli, Federal Times, September 8, 2008
DoD asks corporate execs to review agency, , Federal Times, August 18, 2008
Lockheed CEO collects big payday, By Bob Cox, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 17, 2008
