Should the federal government require prospective government contractors to disclose their political contributions? The Obama administration weighed in on this issue in April with a draft executive order entitled “Disclosure of Political Spending by Government Contractors.” As the title suggests, the draft order would require a contractor submitting an offer to perform a federal contract to disclose political contributions exceeding $5,000 made within two years preceding the offer. The order has generated significant controversy. Many have expressed fear that the information would be used inappropriately as a new factor in awarding federal contracts. The controversy intensified last month when Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) proposed the Keeping Politics Out of Federal Contracting Act of 2011, which would prohibit the disclosures called for in the draft executive order.
Continue Reading Contractor political contributions as a factor in contract award decisions