April 17, 2024
US Attorney for NJ joins national procurement strike force
Listen to this articleThe Department of Justice announced April 12 four new national partners for its Procurement Collusion Strike Forceincluding the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey led by US Attorney Philip Sellinger.
Established in 2019, the PCSF combats antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes impacting government procurement, grants and program funding. That work transcends all levels of government – local, state and federal.
The other new national partners announced April 12 are:
- The District of Alaska, led by S. Lane Tucker
- Eastern District of Louisiana, led by Duane Evans
- The Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, led by acting Inspector General Roderick Anderson
The PCSF now totals 38 agencies and officers committed to cracking down on procurement fraud.
“A level playing field and fair competition are vitally important to ensure that taxpayers are getting the best value for their money when government contracts are awarded,” said Sellinger. “My office is proud to join this national effort to combat price-fixing, bid rigging, and any type of collusion or fraud in government procurement. Working with our investigative partners, we will hold accountable anyone who tries to corrupt the procurement process.”
“Since 2019, the Procurement Collusion Strike Force has aggressively investigated and prosecuted crimes that undermine and distort the competitive process in taxpayer-funded procurements,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “With new investments in infrastructure, energy, and hi-tech manufacturing, the PCFS’ strategic expansion to include these four partner positions it to accomplish its important mandate more effectively.”
See also:
A long-awaited study of statewide contracting opportunities for Minority and Women-Owned businesses was released Jan. 23 by the Murphy administration, which found statistically significant disparities. Click here to read its findings.
Long Island home insurance rates expected to increase 10% or more this year, brokers say
Never mind the recent earthquake. Long Islanders may be trembling when they renew their homeowners’ insurance premiums this year.
A national report by comparison shopping site Insurify projected home insurance prices will increase by 6% this year in the US
Local brokers say Long Island homeowners could see even larger increases. Robyn Sutnick, an insurance broker at Denis A. Miller Insurance Agency in Long Beach, said she wishes she could tell her clients they would only see a 6% increase. She estimated local homeowners could face between a 15% to 25% increase.
“We’re seeing crazy increases, especially these past six months,” Sutnick said. “I’ve been in this business 30 years, and this is probably the tightest market I’ve seen.”
Homeowners who want to switch to find a better rate also have fewer options, she said.
“You go to certain areas, especially like Long Beach, a coastal area, and there may be two or three admitted companies writing in the area as opposed to 10 that we had three years ago,” she said. Inflation in building costs has been a major driver of increases.
David Levine, owner of Newbrook Insurance Agency in Port Jefferson Station, said he’s telling clients to expect at least a 10% higher premium, while some are seeing increases up to 30%.
“When possible we will move them to a new company, but it’s not one or two companies that are taking the rate increases, it’s the whole industry,” Levine said.
Big losses have made insurers more careful about the risks they take. The property and casualty insurance industry reported its largest underwriting loss in a decade last year, at $38 billion, due to weather-related losses, inflation and higher reinsurance costs, according to credit rating agency AM Best. Insurers pay for reinsurance to protect themselves from catastrophic events,