WMATA OIG announces partnership with U.S. Department of Justice’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force
March 2, 2020
Agents from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Office of Inspector General (WMATA OIG) will be partnering with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) in order to detect bid-rigging, fraud and other crimes impacting WMATA’s programs, according to an announcement from Inspector General Geoffrey A. Cherrington.
In November 2019, the Justice Department announced the formation of the new Strike Force, which focuses on deterring, detecting and prosecuting antitrust crimes, such as bid-rigging and related fraudulent schemes, that affect government procurement, grant and program funding. The Strike Force is an interagency partnership consisting of prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and multiple U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia, as well as investigators from multiple law enforcement partners, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and several federal Offices of Inspector General.
As WMATA continues to fund significant capital investment projects in the National Capital Region, WMATA OIG agents will be working with the Strike Force – namely, the District of Columbia and Eastern District of Virginia PCSF teams – in an effort to protect WMATA from bid-rigging and fraud schemes, root out crimes being committed against the authority and safeguard taxpayer money.
Individuals and companies are encouraged to contact the OIG if they have information concerning such conduct identified above involving funds administered by WMATA. WMATA-OIG is an independent and objective unit of WMATA that conducts investigations relating to WMATA activities.
