Leahy, Conyers Ask For GAO Inquiry Into Awarding Of No-Bid Contracts By Justice Department

WASHINGTON (Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008) – The chairmen of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees today sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) asking the comptroller general to launch an inquiry into the use, award and implementation of contracts by the Department of Justice to outside entities for the monitoring of compliance with out-of-court settlement and deferred prosecution agreements in criminal investigations.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) Wednesday wrote to GAO Comptroller General David M. Walker requesting the inquiry, citing concerns with the manner in which the contracts are awarded, and a lack of oversight in the implementation of the contracts.

“We are concerned about recent reports that officials at the Department of Justice have directed companies to award lucrative no-bid contracts for monitoring compliance with out-of-court settlement and deferred prosecution agreements in criminal cases to former political office-holders and appointees. The committees we chair have primary responsibility for oversight over the department,” Leahy and Conyers wrote.

“Accordingly, we request that you perform an inquiry into the use, award, and implementation of contracts since 2001 to outside lawyers and other professionals retained by companies for monitoring compliance with out-of-court settlement and deferred prosecution agreements reached in criminal investigations between companies and the department.”

Neither Leahy nor Conyers has received a response from the Department of Justice to letters sent last week to Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey asking for information about the awarding of the no-bid contracts. Mukasey is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 30, and before the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 7.

The text of the Leahy-Conyers letter is below.

Letter to GAO

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