Procurement collusion undermines confidence in government and costs American taxpayers an estimated billions of dollars each year. It also erodes the public’s trust in democratic institutions and can contribute to public corruption. To combat this threat, the Department of Justice formed the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (the “PCSF”) in 2019, with the goal of coordinating a national response in combatting antitrust and related crimes in government procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government—Federal, state, and local. Such conduct includes the heartland antitrust crimes, per se violations of Section 1 of the Sherman Act: bid rigging, price fixing, and market allocation. However, in recognition of looming threats posed to government procurements by increased government spending, industry monopolization, and the abuse of government set-aside programs, the PCSF has embraced priorities beyond per se violation detection and prosecution to more effectively and holistically address these threats.
Read more