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"Any Degree of Fraud" Bars Contractor Claims

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 10.13.14

In Laguna Constr. Co. (Oct. 7), the ASBCA denied a $2.9 million claim for unpaid invoices because two of Laguna's employees had pled guilty to accepting subcontractor kickbacks under some, but not all, of the task orders under appeal. The Board imputed the fraud to the company and, applying the doctrine of "antecedent breach," held that the contractor's material breach excused the government's subsequent failure to pay for the completed and invoiced work.


Insights

Client Alert | 4 min read | 04.09.26

DOJ Establishes National Fraud Enforcement Division

On April 7, 2026, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memorandum establishing the National Fraud Enforcement Division (NFED) within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). This new division will be dedicated to the centralized, coordinated investigation and prosecution of fraud against taxpayer dollars and taxpayer-funded programs. AAG Blanche acknowledged that, while DOJ has a “storied history of combatting fraud,” DOJ has “never adopted a comprehensive and coordinated approach to investigating and prosecuting fraud against taxpayer dollars and tax-payer funded programs.” The NFED was created to close that gap with its core mission being to “zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars.”...