PETALUMA,CALIF., Feb. 10, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Small Business League (ASBL) has released theirannual analysis of federal contracting data for fiscal year 2015. The ASBL'sanalysis is based on the latest data from the Federal Procurement Data System.They found in fiscal year 2015 Fortune 500 firms and thousands of clearly largebusinesses received billions in federal small business contracts. Theirresearch found 151 Fortune 500 firmslanded government small business contracts in 2015. 

Verizon receivedover $108 million in small business contracts through their subsidiaryTerremark. Some of the other firms that received small business contracts lastyear include: Apple, Microsoft, General Electric, HomeDepot, AT &T, UPS, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Bank of America,Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Pepsi, Boeing, Oracle, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, GeneralDynamics, Northrop Grumman, Anthem and John Deere. 

TheGovernment Accountability Office (GAO) released their first investigation intocorruption and fraud in federal small business contracting programs in 2003.The GAO uncovered over 5,300 large businesses hadbeen the actual recipients of billions in US Government small businesscontracts.

Thisyear marks the sixteenth consecutive year that federal small business contractshave been diverted to corporate giants.

The SBAOffice of Inspector General released Report 5-15 thatdescribed the diversion of small business contracts going to corporate giantsas, "One of the most importantchallenges  facing the Small Business Administration (SBA) and theentire federal government today."

In2014, Public Citizen released their investigation into fraud in governmentsmall business programs titled "Slighted." Theyaccused the federal government of using accounting tricks to"create false impression thatsmall businesses are getting their share of federal procurement money."

ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, FoxNews and RTTV along with dozens of stories in many of thelargest newspapers in the country have all reported on the fraud andabuse in federal small business contracting programs.

The HouseSmall Business Committee recently unanimously passed H.R. 4329titled, "Transparency in Small BusinessGoaling Act of 2016." That bill was supposed to modernizethe Small Business Act, but it contained no provision to halt the flow offederal small business contracts to Fortune 500 firms and thousands of otherlarge businesses.

TheASBL's research indicates middle class small businesses are being shortchangedout of up to up to $200 billion a year00billion a year. This is a result of the SBA's exclusions ofthe majority of federal contracts from their calculations and the inclusion of billions in contractsto large businesses.  

Asopposed to adopting policies to end the rampant fraud, in 2014 the SBA adoptedtheir Safe Harbor From Fraud Penaltiespolicy that actually helps to protect fraudulent firms.

The American Small Business League plansto release a full-length documentary this spring that will chronicle thehistory of corruption and fraud in federal small business contracting programs.

CONTACT: SteveGodfrey

        sgodfrey@asbl.com

        707-789-9575

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