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| Justice Department says USIS submitted 665,000 incomplete background checks | Justice Department says USIS submitted 665,000 incomplete background checks |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Justice Department has joined a whistleblowers’ lawsuit against the company that conducts 45 percent of the security-background checks for potential U.S. government hires, and is accusing the firm of submitting at least 665,000 flawed investigations of individuals during a four-year period. | The Justice Department has joined a whistleblowers’ lawsuit against the company that conducts 45 percent of the security-background checks for potential U.S. government hires, and is accusing the firm of submitting at least 665,000 flawed investigations of individuals during a four-year period. |
| Wednesday’s filing in U.S. District Court in Alabama accuses Falls Church, Va.-based USIS of submitting incomplete background reviews in about 40 percent of the cases it handled — in the process qualifying for nearly $12 million in performance bonuses. | Wednesday’s filing in U.S. District Court in Alabama accuses Falls Church, Va.-based USIS of submitting incomplete background reviews in about 40 percent of the cases it handled — in the process qualifying for nearly $12 million in performance bonuses. |
| “Beginning in at least March 2008 and continuing through at least September 2012, USIS management devised and executed a scheme to deliberately circumvent contractually required quality reviews of completed background investigations in order to increase the company’s revenues and profits,” the Justice Department said in its complaint, which was filed Wednesday. | “Beginning in at least March 2008 and continuing through at least September 2012, USIS management devised and executed a scheme to deliberately circumvent contractually required quality reviews of completed background investigations in order to increase the company’s revenues and profits,” the Justice Department said in its complaint, which was filed Wednesday. |
| The cases were incomplete because they had not undergone a “quality review,” the government said. The government filing was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. | The cases were incomplete because they had not undergone a “quality review,” the government said. The government filing was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. |
| In a statement, the company said that the conduct described in the complaint “is contrary to our values and commitment to exceptional service. These allegations relate to a small group of individuals over a specific period of time and are inconsistent with the strong servive record we have earned since our inception in 1996.” | |
| USIS conducted background checks for former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and government contractor Aaron Alexis, who shot and killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard last fall. | USIS conducted background checks for former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and government contractor Aaron Alexis, who shot and killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard last fall. |
| There is no evidence that those probes were among the ones that the company is accused of submitting prematurely, the Journal reported. | There is no evidence that those probes were among the ones that the company is accused of submitting prematurely, the Journal reported. |
| The federal government gave USIS nearly $2.4 million in bonuses in fiscal year 2008, $3.5 million in 2009 and $5.8 million in 2010 as a reward for good performance, the complaint says. | The federal government gave USIS nearly $2.4 million in bonuses in fiscal year 2008, $3.5 million in 2009 and $5.8 million in 2010 as a reward for good performance, the complaint says. |
| Had the Office of Personnel Management been aware that many of the background checks were incomplete, the Justice Department said in its filing, “it would not have awarded USIS the bonuses above because it would not have deemed USIS’s performance acceptable.” | Had the Office of Personnel Management been aware that many of the background checks were incomplete, the Justice Department said in its filing, “it would not have awarded USIS the bonuses above because it would not have deemed USIS’s performance acceptable.” |
| The lawsuit that the government is joining was filed by Blake Percival, a former director of fieldwork services at USIS. He sued the company in 2011 under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, accusing the company of rushing cases through the system and hiding the practice from OPM. | The lawsuit that the government is joining was filed by Blake Percival, a former director of fieldwork services at USIS. He sued the company in 2011 under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, accusing the company of rushing cases through the system and hiding the practice from OPM. |
| The Justice Department accused USIS of wrongdoing in October, when it “intervened” in the suit. The decision to join the lawsuit marks an escalation and increases the legal pressure on USIS, which is also the subject of a criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District. | The Justice Department accused USIS of wrongdoing in October, when it “intervened” in the suit. The decision to join the lawsuit marks an escalation and increases the legal pressure on USIS, which is also the subject of a criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District. |