It recently ran into trouble with the government again. The Army said the trucks could not be driven above 30 mph until the problem was fixed. Perkins Aircraft Services of Fort Worth, Texas, pleaded guilty in late 1997 to falsely representing that it repaired 14 windshields for Coast Guard rescue jets when the windshields were not airworthy. The company can still receive contracts. The company occasionally works as a subcontractor on the government's civilian aircraft.
Federal officials offer a variety of reasons why contractors remain eligible.
Some agencies only work at it part time. In contrast, the Veterans Affairs Department has banned about 700 companies and aggressively audits its contractors. At the Pentagon, contractors often provide a unique service with no competitors, and banning them is deemed to hurt national security. And many health care companies, such as nursing homes accused of defrauding Medicare, are not banned because officials fear their patients will be penalized. About 24,000 companies or individuals are barred from doing business with the government for infractions that range from drug-free workplace laws to embezzlement and contract fraud.