Justice Department's Antitrust Division Recovery Initiative

The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice has launched a Recovery Initiative aimed at training government officials and contractors to recognize and report efforts by parties to unlawfully profit from the stimulus projects that will be awarded as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Initiative involves training procurement and grant officials, government contractors, and agency auditors and investigators, on techniques for identifying the "red flags of collusion" before stimulus awards are made and taxpayer money is wasted. The Initiative also makes available to agencies competition experts, who can evaluate present procurement and program funding processes and make recommendations on "best practices" that may be adopted to further protect processes from third-party abuse and maximize open and fair competition.

Finally, the Initiative commits the Antitrust Division to playing a prominent role in assisting agencies investigate and prosecute those who seek to defraud the government's efforts to maximize competition for stimulus funds. Through the Antitrust Division's Recovery Initiative website, consumers, and federal, state and local agencies can review information about the antitrust laws and the Division's training programs, request training, and report suspicious activity.