The Justice Department announced that three contractors and two companies also pled guilty in the conspiracy.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that a former U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), three contractors, and two companies have pled guilty to conspiring to commit bribery. The lawsuit alleges that two companies, Apprio and Vistant, offered bribes to former USAID official Roderick Watson in exchange for expediting their contract proposals submitted to the federal agency between 2013 and 2022. The companies paid Watson with gifts worth at least $14 million in exchange for the awarding of multiple contracts with a total worth of over $550 million.
“The defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers through bribery and fraud,” Matthew Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, stated. “Their scheme violated the public trust by corrupting the federal government’s procurement process.
“Anybody who cares about good and effective government should be concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse in government agencies, including USAID,” he added.
The companies have admitted to criminal liability and entered into three-year deferred prosecution agreements. Watson faces up to 15 years in prison for his charges and will be sentenced on October 6.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For wisdom for President Trump and officials in his administration as they continue to trim government bureaucracy and seek to prevent fraud and waste.
- For Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he serves as acting administrator of USAID.
Sources: Government Executive, MSN, NY Post
