The CASE discusses the serious problem of federal government contracts designated for small and women or minority-owned businesses being fraudulently given away to large, multi-million dollar firms. It is based on the story of the author’s business, J. Cooper & Associates, a small business that participated in the U.S. Small Business Administration 8(a) program.

The Small Business Administration’s inspector general, Peggie E. Gustafson, while testifying in a congressional hearing last week, said that her agency often did not effectively oversee the contracting program and did not aggressively pursue companies that misrepresented themselves as small. The SBA, Ms. Gustafson said in her prepared statement, “needs to change its culture so that employees understand that their mission includes not only assisting small businesses but also ensuring accountability and integrity to prevent fraudulent and improper actions from depriving procurement opportunities for legitimate firms”.
New York Times, November 1, 2011