{"id":2518222,"date":"2025-12-06T08:47:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-06T13:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-admin-announces-audit-of-disadvantaged-contractors\/"},"modified":"2025-12-06T08:49:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T13:49:17","slug":"trump-admin-announces-audit-of-disadvantaged-contractors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-admin-announces-audit-of-disadvantaged-contractors\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump admin announces audit of &#8216;disadvantaged&#8217; contractors"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-admin-announces-audit-of-disadvantaged-contractors%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2518222&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Trump administration has announced an audit of thousands of businesses benefiting from the Small Business Administration&#8217;s (SBA) 8(a) business Advancement Program, which is designed to support &#8220;socially and economically disadvantaged&#8221; companies. The audit aims to investigate allegations of fraud and abuse within the program, which critics say has strayed from its original purpose, especially under the Biden administration&#8217;s emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler has directed 4,300 program participants to submit financial documentation from the past three years as part of the review. This move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to dismantle DEI initiatives across federal agencies, arguing that such policies often lead to unfair advantages and potential misuse of taxpayer funds. Recent actions include suspensions of contractors amid fraud allegations and reductions in federal contracting goals set for disadvantaged businesses. Similar efforts to curtail race- and gender-based contracting programs have been undertaken by other departments, including the Department of Transportation. The administration asserts that federal projects should focus on efficiency and merit rather than race or gender considerations.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump administration announces audit of contractors benefiting from &lsquo;disadvantaged&rsquo; business program<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2362035\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\">Trump administration<\/a> on Friday announced plans to audit thousands of &ldquo;disadvantaged&rdquo; businesses contracted with the federal government, as part of an effort to root out <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/dei\/\">diversity, equity, and inclusion <\/a>measures embedded in the federal government.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Small Business Administration sent letters to all 4,300 participants within its 8(a) Business Development Program requiring them to provide financial documents for the last three fiscal years, according to Administrator <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3832847\/sba-directs-furloughed-federal-workers-blame-democrats-shutdown-out-office-reply\/\">Kelly Loeffler<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/3909017\/netflix-warner-bros-deal-anti-monopoly-concerns-hostile-bid-rumors\/\">Netflix&#8217;s Warner Bros. deal sets off anti-monopoly concerns, hostile bid rumors<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/3908112\/teamsters-chief-brands-amazon-corporate-white-collar-crime-syndicate\/\">Teamsters chief brands Amazon a &#8216;corporate white-collar crime syndicate&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/3908444\/eu-fines-x-140-million-risking-trump-administration-ire\/\">EU fines X $140 million, risking the ire of Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;There is mounting evidence that the 8(a) Program designed for &lsquo;socially and economically disadvantaged&rsquo; businesses went from being a targeted program to a pass-through vehicle for rampant abuse and fraud &ndash; especially during the Biden Administration, which aggressively prioritized DEI over merit in federal contracting,&rdquo; Loeffler said in a statement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The contractors must provide basic financial records, including bank statements, financial statements, general ledgers, payroll registers, contracting and subcontracting agreements, and employment records, in order to &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-state-employee-fakes-pregnancy-for-paid-time-off-again-gets-busted-after-co-worker-sees-womb-fall-off-report\/\" title=\"Georgia State Employee Fakes Pregnancy For Paid Time Off \u2014 Again. Gets Busted After Co-Worker Sees \u2018Womb\u2019 Fall Off: Report\">protect taxpayer dollars<\/a> and restore program integrity,&rdquo; Loeffler added.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The development marks the Trump administration&rsquo;s latest attempt to target DEI initiatives that it says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judges-allow-challenges-to-anti-bds-laws-as-anti-semitic-violence-sweeps-u-s\/\" title=\"Judges Allow Challenges to Anti-BDS Laws As Anti-Semitic Violence Sweeps U.S.\">violate anti-discrimination laws<\/a>, after President Donald Trump <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3292719\/trump-order-reversal-dei-restore-base-names-changed-biden\/\">signed an executive order<\/a> in January directing all federal agencies to dismantle such activity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In response, agencies across the federal government launched sweeping efforts aimed at eliminating DEI initiatives, including at the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3377131\/education-department-dei-withdraw-native-american-inequality-resolution\/\">Education<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/3419777\/task-force-dei-dead-pentagon\/\">War<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3456048\/dhs-eliminates-pro-dei-invent-2-prevent-program\/\">Homeland Security<\/a>, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3377985\/hhs-opens-dei-investigation-health-education-scholarship-dc\/\">Health and Human Services<\/a> Departments.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Before her latest action this week, Loeffler <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sba.gov\/article\/2025\/02\/24\/sba-administrator-loeffler-issues-memo-day-one-priorities\">had previously<\/a> targeted DEI at the SBA by conducting a department-wide audit, citing a Justice Department investigation that she said uncovered a $550 million fraud and bribery scheme involving a former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whistleblowers-accuse-bidens-hhs-efforts-made-to-downplay-the-degree-of-covid-infection-at-migrant-children-site\/\" title=\"Whistleblowers Accuse Biden\u2019s HHS: ... Made To \u2018Downplay The Degree Of COVID Infection\u2019 At Migrant Children Site\">federal contracting officer<\/a> and two 8(a) contractors. The SBA also <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SBA_Kelly\/status\/1981024674885566517\">suspended<\/a> numerous executives and contractors last month following allegations of fraud involving more than $253 million in previously issued contract awards.<\/p>\n<p>When she was initially tapped to lead the SBA, Loeffler <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sba.gov\/article\/2025\/02\/24\/sba-administrator-loeffler-issues-memo-day-one-priorities\">expressed concern <\/a>that the Biden administration had increased the 8(a) federal contracting goal for&nbsp;Small Disadvantaged Businesses &ldquo;to an all-time high of 15%.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This action unfairly tipped the scales against any small business that did not qualify as &lsquo;disadvantaged&rsquo;&hellip;.[and] negatively impacted veteran-owned small businesses,&rdquo;&nbsp; Loeffler said at the time, adding that the SBA had reduced the SDB goal to the &ldquo;statutory level&rdquo; of 5%.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>At the Transportation Department, Secretary Sean Duffy has also focused on efforts to cut a program similarly designed to boost minority and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-choice-to-lead-dojs-civil-rights-division-melanin-endows-blacks-with-greater-mental-physical-and-spiritual-abilities-video\/\" title=\"Biden\u2019s Choice to Lead DOJ\u2019s Civil Rights Division: \u201cMelanin Endows Blacks with Greater Mental, Physical and Spiritual Abilities\u201d (VIDEO)\">women-owned businesses<\/a> by prioritizing them for federal contracts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3824486\/spencer-cox-200-million-dollar-effort-stave-off-saline-failure-great-salt-lake\/\"><strong>COX ANNOUNCES $200 MILLION EFFORT TO STAVE OFF SALINE FAILURE IN GREAT SALT LAKE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought has cut, at least temporarily, billions in funding for projects reliant on funding tied to the DOT&rsquo;s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, from <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/infrastructure\/3835757\/russ-vought-pulls-2-billion-chicago-infrastructure-projects-race-based-contracts\/\">Chicago<\/a> to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/infrastructure\/3832518\/russ-vought-cuts-18-billion-new-york-infrastructure-dei\/\">New York City<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The American people don&rsquo;t care what race or gender construction workers, pipe fitters, or electricians are. They just want these <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >massive projects finally built quickly<\/a> and efficiently,&rdquo; the Transportation Department <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AudreyFahlberg\/status\/1974078201820594509\">wrote<\/a> in a press release.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump admin to audit contractors in &#8216;disadvantaged&#8217; program<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2518223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP21177471116489.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4106,50523,68351,36586,3634],"class_list":["post-2518222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-administration","tag-audit-2","tag-disadvantaged-contractors","tag-government-policy","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP21177471116489.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2518222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2518222"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2518222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2518226,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2518222\/revisions\/2518226"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2518223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2518222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2518222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2518222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}