In recent years, investigators in Congress have ramped up scrutiny of government contractors and other recipients of federal funds. This trend has only accelerated in the current Congress, with Republican-led committees pursuing expansive inquiries targeting a wide variety of federal contractors and grantees. Along with familiar allegations of waste or misuse of federal funds, these recent investigations have largely been driven by the political and policy priorities of the Republican majority. But with Democratic congressional leaders signaling their own intention to prioritize oversight of private parties doing business with the government, this trend is poised to continue regardless of the outcome of November’s midterm elections.
In this alert, we highlight unique challenges posed by congressional investigations targeting government contractors, as well as particular risk areas likely to attract scrutiny on Capitol Hill in the current Congress and beyond.