Government Contracts

In a strong expression of support for building the next generation of military jets at Palmdale's Plant 42, California's entire congressional delegation has signed a letter asking the Department of Defense to compare production costs there with costs at any other facility. The contract to build the Joint Strike Fighter could be worth up to $750 billion over 25 years and is expected to generate thousands of new jobs in the region where it is built. The Oct.

BP, which has agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges in connection with the nation's worst offshore oil spill, was suspended from new government contracts on Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced. In suspending the company, the federal agency said BP had displayed a "lack of business integrity” in connection with the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. More than 200 million gallons of oil flowed into the gulf after an explosion and fire destroyed the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in April 2010.

Northrop Grumman Corp. has agreed to pay $1.4 million to settle a whistle-blower lawsuit that accused the defense contractor of overcharging the U.S. Air Force for B-2 bomber instruction and repair manuals, federal prosecutors said Friday. In the latest allegations of overcharging on the $44-billion bomber program, a former employee accused Century City-based Northrop of violating the federal Truth in Negotiations Act by inflating cost estimates on the manuals.

JERUSALEM - An Israeli court on Tuesday cleared former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of the most serious corruption charges against him, including fraud, concealing cash gifts and double billing, but convicted him on a lesser count of breach of trust. The split decision capped a five-year corruption inquiry that drove Olmert from office in 2009 and helped usher in the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It is not the end of Olmert's legal problems. He still faces a bribery trial involving a controversial Jerusalem real estate development built while he was mayor of the city.

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. will pay $35 million to settle a lawsuit that claimed the Pasadena firm improperly billed the U.S. government on contracts involving mostly environmental cleanup, the U.S. attorney said. The suit claimed Jacobs made unallowable charges on cost reimbursement contracts with the military, Energy Department, Environmental Protection Agency and NASA. Although it settled, Jacobs denies the allegations.

Dear Karen: I own a transportation company. Where do I find out about obtaining government contracts? Answer: Start with Federal Business Opportunities, at http://www.fbo.gov . It lists most opportunities over $25,000 and includes navigation instructions. Next, introduce your company to prime contractors who might buy your products or services. They can include you as a subcontractor within their existing contracts or on jobs they are bidding, said John C. Lauderdale III, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Government Contracts.

Dear Karen: How does a minority-owned small business get government contracts? Answer: First, qualify for the Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development program, which is for small firms that are socially and economically disadvantaged, including those that are minority owned. The rules governing the 8(a) program have been revised recently, enabling more small businesses to qualify, said Lourdes Martin-Rosa, government contracting advisor for American Express OPEN.

Tucked away inside the Business section was yet another Bush administration move friendly to business and let the law be damned ["White House Suspends New Contracting Rule," March 31]. What is even more bothersome is the fact that we know of only a few of the Bush administration's suspensions and revocations. How many more go unreported? With amazing speed, Bush is chipping away at every responsible piece of legislation of the Clinton administration. Suspending the rule that prevents the government from awarding contracts to bidders who have violated environmental, labor, tax or other federal laws is rewarding unlawful conduct.

Health Net Inc.shares plunged 25% as the Woodland Hills insurer posted disappointing first-quarter results and slashed its full-year profit outlook. The company surprised analysts and investors by disclosing an additional $67 million in medical claims that hadn't been reported in the fourth quarter because of errors in processing claims. Health Net said outside vendors that handle those claims for the company experienced problems with a new industrywide billing format. Health Net also cut its 2012 profit forecast to a range of $2.35 to $2.50 a share, excluding certain items.

A Massachusetts-based building firm gave $25,000 to pro-Romney "super PAC" Restore Our Future, even though its chief executive is a major backer of President Obama . John Fish's company, Suffolk Construction, made the donation on Jan. 4. The company also donated to the super PAC twice in 2011, giving a total of $35,000 last year. At the same time, Fish raised between $100,000 and $200,000 this year for the president's 2012 bid, according to Open Secrets, and Federal Election Commission filings show that Fish gave $2,300 to the Obama campaign in 2007.

Since taking office in 2007, Ecuador's President Rafael Correa has been in a war of words with the media in his country. He's used archaic libel laws to pursue criminal charges against the owners of El Universo and a columnist at the newspaper. His government has pushed through a law that severely restricts the media's ability to cover political campaigns and elections; indeed, it goes so far as to ban any media reports that can benefit or hurt a candidate. And now he's set his sights on international media observers.

A content issue Re "TV firms try to upstage absent Apple," Business, Jan. 10 I find it amazing that the next big thing from Apple is expected to be a new way to interact with TV sets. Honestly, waving at my TV or even searching on my tablet for shows isn't what I'm after. Where is the real next big thing: the ability to watch what I want without having to pay for a bunch of channels I never watch? I understand the challenges of making this work, but I am an inch away from dumping my cable provider and getting my condo association to put up a high-definition antenna instead.

A Beverly Hills financial firm and its founder pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges that they defrauded government agencies by steering investment contracts to firms that paid them kickbacks. David Rubin, 50, and his company, CDR Financial Products Inc., were accused of running sham auctions for government agencies looking to invest money raised through municipal bond offerings. The contracts were awarded to favored firms that secretly paid kickbacks to CDR, not always the firm offering the highest returns, the government alleged.

For more than 25 years, Radio and TV Marti have served as a reminder of America's failed policy toward Cuba. The stations were launched in 1985 as a way to crack Fidel Castro's control over mass media. Since then, they have become little more than a financial black hole. The government has spent nearly $500 million on, among other things, a twin-engine plane, a blimp and a satellite to beam broadcasts into Cuba. The broadcasts, however, are rarely seen or heard. Castro has successfully jammed the stations' signals, and denounced Washington's efforts as a violation of international treaty obligations.

Dear Karen: I own a transportation company. Where do I find out about obtaining government contracts? Answer: Start with Federal Business Opportunities, at http://www.fbo.gov . It lists most opportunities over $25,000 and includes navigation instructions. Next, introduce your company to prime contractors who might buy your products or services. They can include you as a subcontractor within their existing contracts or on jobs they are bidding, said John C. Lauderdale III, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Government Contracts.

Dear Karen: How does a minority-owned small business get government contracts? Answer: First, qualify for the Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development program, which is for small firms that are socially and economically disadvantaged, including those that are minority owned. The rules governing the 8(a) program have been revised recently, enabling more small businesses to qualify, said Lourdes Martin-Rosa, government contracting advisor for American Express OPEN.