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WMATA OIG Announces Partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force

Client Alert | 1 min read | 02.20.20

On February 18, 2020, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Inspector General Geoffrey A. Cherrington announced a partnership between WMATA Office of Inspector General special agents and the Department of Justice’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF).

This new law enforcement partnership underscores the PCSF’s willingness to team up with state and local agencies to aggressively pursue allegations of procurement fraud and prosecute any wrongdoing. It is important that government contractors of all sizes and in all industries ensure they have the appropriate antitrust protections in place, and that they conduct routine training for all employees involved in the procurement process.

WMATA recently launched a $15.5 billion capital improvement program at the beginning of FY 2020 with funding coming from state and local governments in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, as well as federal grants. Through the program WMATA will purchase new railcars and buses and make other investments in infrastructure and equipment over the next ten years. These projects will provide many business opportunities for government contractors and they will also create a local area of focus for the WMATA-DOJ team.

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Client Alert | 3 min read | 04.25.24

JUST RELEASED: EPA’s Bold New Strategic Civil-Criminal Enforcement Collaboration Policy

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) just issued its new Strategic Civil-Criminal Enforcement Policy, setting the stage for the new manner in which the agency manages its pollution investigations. David M. Uhlmann, the head of OECA, signed the Policy memorandum on April 17, 2024, in order to ensure that EPA’s civil and criminal enforcement offices collaborate efficiently and consistently in cases across the nation. The Policy states, “EPA must exercise enforcement discretion reasonably when deciding whether a particular matter warrants criminal, civil, or administrative enforcement. Criminal enforcement should be reserved for the most egregious violations.” Uhlmann repeated this statement during a luncheon on April 23, 2024, while also emphasizing the new level of energy this collaborative effort has brought to the enforcement programs....