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The government awards contracts to companies with histories of misconduct such as contract fraud and environmental, ethics, and labor violations. In the absence of a centralized federal database listing instances of misconduct, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is providing such data. We believe that it will lead to improved contracting decisions and public access to information about how the government spends hundreds of billions of taxpayer money each year on goods and services. Report an instance of misconduct »

Harris Corporation

Improperly Obtaining Information to Win a Government Contract

Date: 06/21/1995 (Date of Settlement Announcement)

Misconduct Type: Government Contract Fraud

Enforcement Agency: Homeland Security

Contracting Party: Homeland Security

Court Type: Civil

Amount: $1,600,000

Disposition: Settlement

Synopsis: “Harris Corporation of Melbourne, Florida, will forego as much as $1.6 million in federal payments to settle allegations the company improperly obtained information to win a communications system contract from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Justice announced today…Harris will release its right to receive $613,000 currently due from FEMA and an additional amount that could be as much as $1 million that would have become due under the contract…the United States alleged that in 1983 Harris employees got information from a FEMA employee relating to the agency's criteria for evaluating bids. The information could have been used to give Harris a competitive advantage in obtaining the contract, which involved building a communications system to operate during a nuclear war or other major catastrophe.”