Guidehouse loses last shot at DOD audit contract
Gettyimages.com/ krisanapong detraphiphat
By
Nick Wakeman
The Government Accountability Office ruled against Guidehouse's claims that Deloitte had a conflict-of-interest because a former employee chaired the technical review board.
Guidehouse has apparently reached the end of the line in its fight with Deloitte over an $80 million contract for audit remediation and sustainment services to the Defense Department.
Deloitte has won the contract twice and both times faced protests by Guidehouse, which argued that Deloitte had a conflict-of-interest because a former employee chaired the technical evaluation board.
The first protest went Guidehouse’s way when the Government Accountability Office ruled that DOD didn’t properly investigate the alleged conflict.
Guidehouse filed a second protest when Deloitte won the contract the second time. Here again, Guidehouse raised the claim of an unmitigated conflict-of-interest. Guidehouse found fault with how DOD investigated the alleged conflict and ruled on it.
On Tuesday, GAO ruled against Guidehouse in a decision that is not publicly available yet.
GAO's decision is the last word because the contract is a task order under a blanket purchase agreement.
As much as Guidehouse might want to, it cannot take this protest to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
Under the contract, Deloitte will provide audit remediation and sustainment services to DOD’s comptroller.
We will keep a look out for GAO’s decision.