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Challenge To OCI Waiver Falls Short

Client Alert | 1 min read | 09.09.10

In MCR Fed., LLC (Aug. 17, 2010) GAO denied the protester's challenge to the agency's decision, in the context of taking corrective action, to waive organizational conflicts of interest for two offerors to facilitate competition, noting that, "[w]here a procurement decision -- such as whether an OCI should be waived -- is committed by statute or regulation to the discretion of agency officials, our Office will not make an independent determination of the matter." GAO found that the agency complied with FAR 9.503, including approval by the agency head's designee and a written determination setting forth (i) the extent of the conflict and (ii) explanation for why application of the OCI rules would not be in the government's interests in the particular procurement.

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Client Alert | 2 min read | 12.19.25

GAO Cautions Agencies—Over-Redact at Your Own Peril

Bid protest practitioners in recent years have witnessed agencies’ increasing efforts to limit the production of documents and information in response to Government Accountability Office (GAO) bid protests—often will little pushback from GAO. This practice has underscored the notable difference in the scope of bid protest records before GAO versus the Court of Federal Claims. However, in Tiger Natural Gas, Inc., B-423744, Dec. 10, 2025, 2025 CPD ¶ __, GAO made clear that there are limits to the scope of redactions, and GAO will sustain a protest where there is insufficient evidence that the agency’s actions were reasonable....