HispanicBusiness

The American Small Business League (ASBL) filed suit Wednesday against the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The ASBL claims that the agency has refused to release reports on contracts awarded to defense contractor Raytheon.

According to an ASBL press release, the DoD refused to respond to a Freedom of Information
Act request for documents related to Raytheon's compliance with small-business subcontracting goals. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California.

The ASBL is concerned that Raytheon and the DoD cooperated in an effort to circumvent federal law requiring that 23 percent of all federal contracts be awarded to small businesses, according to the press release.

"This is not just a small-business story," Lloyd Chapman, ASBL president, said. "This is a story about trillions of dollars in contracting fraud, bribery and corruption in government."