The Character of Management

2009 - White House Memo on Classified Info & CUI can be found at

The federal contracting ethics and compliance environment is rapidly evolving. The following selected resources and frequently updated websites can link you to the latest developments affecting your government related business.

“Trust, Ethics and the Technology Factor”
or
“If I had wanted to be a CIO,
I would not have gone to law school....”

A CLE Ethics Presentation
for the Arizona Bankruptcy Bar

State Bar of Arizona 2008 Bar Convention
Living Our Legacy 1933-2008
The 75th Annual State Bar Convention
June 20, 2008

"If I'd wanted to be a CIO, I wouldn't have gone to law school" is the subtitle of the presentation given at the Arizona State Bar Convention about the ethical trouble lawyers can get into using current technology. The lengthy presentation is available upon request on the documents and resources page.
GM

SUMMARY: The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense
Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) are seeking comments on
changes to the proposed rule, FAR Case 2007-006, Contractor Compliance
Program and Integrity Reporting, published in the Federal Register at
72 FR 64019, November 14, 2007, for which the initial comment period
has closed, that may be included in the final rule. The Councils do not
contemplate publishing a final or interim rule until public comments
are received and considered on the specific changes discussed further
in this document.

On June 9, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court voted unanimously in favor of restricting the whistleblower provisions of the U.S. False Claims Act. Now, the Court ruled, a whistleblower needs to prove that there was more than just a false statement involved in any sort of government fund or contract. Instead, an employee must prove that the company “intended that the false statement is ‘material’.”
The ruling stems from a case involving Navy contractors building destroyers. The Navy contracted with two different shipyards, which required generators. The shipyards subcontracted with Allison Engine Company to build the generators with bases and enclosures. Allison subcontracted with General Tool Co. (GTC) to assemble the generators, and GTC in turn outsourced the work of building the generators' bases and enclosures to yet another firm, SOFCO. All of the subcontracts reportedly included clauses that required products to have a “certificate of performance,” guaranteeing they met Navy standards. Under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, two GTC employees blew the whistle on Allison and the subcontractor that built the bases and enclosures, for allegedly issuing certificates of performance under false pretenses.
A federal appeals court sided with the two employees, but the Supreme Court overturned that decision sending it back to the lower courts.

The official syllabus follows and the full opinion is available at http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/07-214.ZO.html