The federal governments largest background check company was fired by the Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday after a spate of bad news, including a Justice Department lawsuit, a cyberattack and congressional scrutiny over its vetting of Edward Snowden. <\/p>\n
The Virginia-based USIS said OPM notified the company that the agency was declining to exercise its remaining options on a contract for background investigations fieldwork and support services. <\/p>\n
We are deeply disappointed with OPMs decision, particularly given the excellent work our 3,000 employees have delivered on these contracts, the company said in a statement late Tuesday. <\/p>\n
While we disagree with the decision and are reviewing it, we intend to fulfill our obligations to ensure an orderly transition. <\/p>\n
The company also said it continued to provide high quality service to other government agencies. <\/p>\n
OPM announced its decision a day after USIS issued a lengthy and detailed public defense in the face of increasing calls for the government to cut ties with the company. <\/p>\n
Lawmakers from both parties have raised questions about the timing of a border security contract this year worth up to $190 million awarded to USIS professional services division, which the company says is separate from its background investigations arm. <\/p>\n
The contract was awarded months after the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit accusing USIS of collecting millions of dollars in bonuses while falsely certifying that hundreds of thousands of unfinished background investigations had been completed. <\/p>\n
The company has sought to distance itself from those accusations, saying nobody currently with the company has ties to any of the accusations outlined in the governments lawsuit. <\/p>\n
Under federal contracting law, past scandals dont necessarily mean future contracts are in jeopardy. Contractors need to show only that they are presently responsible. <\/p>\n
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