Northern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney and Procurement Collision Strike Force Director Host Antitrust Summit

ATLANTA - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division, and the Procurement Collusion Strike Force ("PCSF") hosted a summit where procurement officials and law enforcement partners from across the Atlanta metropolitan area convened to raise awareness concerning collusion, corruption, and fraud schemes that target government spending. spending.

"Our office is committed to working closely with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure that the citizens of this district receive government services free from collusion, corruption, and fraud," said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. "Our close collaboration with the Antitrust Division, in particular, allows us to better identify, investigate, and prosecute procurement fraud and, in so doing, assure the public that safeguarding taxpayer funds ranks as a top priority."

"Today's summit is a valuable opportunity for the PCSF to forge vital partnerships with representatives from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia and several local, state and federal law enforcement agencies that are dedicated to protect the integrity of the federal government's contracts," said Director Glad. "Our partnerships increase awareness and combine resources and tools that protect taxpayers' money."

During the summit, U.S. Attorney Buchanan and Director Glad reflected on the PCSF's growth and success since its inception in 2019. They detailed additional resources the Department of Justice has dedicated to combat procurement collusion and emphasized the importance of law enforcement partnerships and a whole-of-government response to persistent threats in government spending. They also sharpened the PCSF's focus on the challenges, risks, and opportunities posed by significant government spending in and around the Atlanta metropolitan area under the Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which will provide billions in federal spending in Georgia over the next several years.

Presentations at the summit outlined the ways that federal, state, and local government agencies can partner with the PCSF to address these emerging threats. Other topics discussed at the summit included ways that government agencies can strengthen their procurement processes to better protect taxpayer funds and meet the mission to provide services to residents. Summit participants included representatives from the FBI, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General, Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Department of Transportation, and City of Atlanta Office of Inspector General.

The PCSF is the Department of Justice's coordinated, national law enforcement effort to target antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government - federal, state, and local. The PCSF is comprised of the Antitrust Division, multiple U.S. Attorney's Offices around the country, the FBI, and the Inspectors General for multiple federal agencies.

Since its inception in November 2019, the PCSF has opened more than 100 criminal investigations and trained more than 31,000 people. In that time, the PCSF and Antitrust Division have investigated and prosecuted over 65 companies and individuals involving more than $500 million worth of government contracts. The summit marks the Department's continued support of the PCSF as it enters its fifth year. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report collusion affecting government contracts, please visit www.justice.gov/atr/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.