On October 9, 2007,the US House of Representatives voted 375-3 to approve the War Profiteering Prevention Act of 2007, legislation creating new criminal provisions to govern fraud conducted by private defense contractors against the US government. Persons found guilty of knowingly defrauding the US or a provisional authority in connection with a US mission overseas would be subject to a 20-year prison sentence and a fine of $1 million or twice the profits that resulted from the fraudulent activity. The legislation was never taken up by the Senate.

Learn more about the laws governing US military contractors from the JURIST news archive.