In yet another jaw-dropping example of how corrupt and broken the federal bureaucracy has become, a senior USAID official and three government contractors have pleaded guilty to a massive decade-long bribery scheme involving over $550 million in no-bid contracts—yes, that’s half a billion taxpayer dollars flushed down the drain so a few grifters could line their pockets.
According to the Department of Justice, the scheme began in 2013 and revolved around Roderick Watson, a contracting officer at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Watson used his position to steer lucrative, non-competitive contracts toward companies owned by Darryl Britt (Apprio, Inc.) and Walter Barnes (Vistant, operating under PM Consulting Group), in exchange for more than $1 million in bribes. The fourth man, Paul Young, president of a subcontractor tied to both firms, also joined the criminal parade.
But here’s the kicker: this entire operation was enabled by the SBA 8(a) contracting program, a race-based federal initiative designed to give “socially and economically disadvantaged businesses” easier access to federal contracts—no competition required. That’s right. These men exploited a program built on identity politics, intended to help minority-owned businesses, and turned it into a personal ATM.
According to DOJ prosecutors, Apprio and Vistant were certified 8(a) contractors, meaning they could score massive federal contracts through set-asides and sole-source deals—no open bidding, no transparency. Just handshakes and hush money behind closed doors.
This was not a few shady invoices. It was a full-blown operation involving at least 14 prime contracts and hundreds of millions in federal funds. And what do taxpayers get in return? A reminder that “equity” programs without oversight invite corruption, and that too many federal agencies, like USAID, are drowning in waste, fraud, and political favoritism.
DOJ official Matthew R. Galeotti nailed it: “Their scheme violated the public trust by corrupting the federal government’s procurement process.” And U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes made it clear: “Public trust is a hallmark of our nation’s values… corruption within a federal government agency is intolerable.”
But let’s be honest: this isn’t an isolated case. It’s a symptom of a bloated, unaccountable federal system that’s more interested in virtue-signaling than fiscal responsibility. If this doesn’t spark real reform in programs like 8(a), nothing will.
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