Avoiding the DOJ's red flags of collusion

The U.S. Department of Justice appears to have collusion in its crosshairs with its formation of a procurement and collusion strike force. Here are typical schemes and red flags in the context of new DOJ guidance.

Last November, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the formation of a new Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF). The PCSF will focus on “deterring, detecting, investigating and prosecuting antitrust crimes, such as bid-rigging conspiracies and related fraudulent schemes, which undermine competition in government procurement, grant and program funding.” Government procurement officials and members of the public can review information on the PCSF’s website about the federal antitrust laws and training programs, and report suspected criminal activity affecting public procurement.