The U.S. Small Business Administration has been plagued by poor oversight of its minority contracting program, improperly allowing ineligible firms to win contracts set aside for disadvantaged business owners, according to testimony from a government watchdog at a Tuesday congressional hearing. That regulatory change included redefining a Native American as a member of a state or federally recognized tribe. Contractors identified in The Times’ investigation were certified by the SBA as minority businesses before the 2011 rule change. One of the firms received a contract from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs for work at a Native American university the agency runs. None of those groups is federally recognized as a legitimate Native American tribe.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 23, 2019 01:52 UTC