Ethical Hacking News
The Department of Homeland Security has awarded a $30,000 no-bid contract for sniper and combat training to Target Down Group, run by Dan LaLota, the brother of US Representative Nick LaLota. This award highlights the complexities and contradictions within the federal contracting system, where politics and cronyism often seem to trump transparency and accountability.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded a $30,000 no-bid contract for sniper and combat training to Target Down Group, a Virginia firm run by Dan LaLota, without competitive bidding. Dan LaLota, the CEO of Target Down Group, has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest due to his brother's involvement in the contracting process and his own background as a retired Marine sniper. The contract was awarded on a sole-source basis, with officials citing prior work with Homeland Security Investigations, but this decision has sparked concerns about cronyism and lack of transparency within the DHS bureaucracy. State records show Target Down Group is not legally authorized to operate as a Virginia corporation due to outstanding filing and fee requirements, yet it was registered separately in Florida. The award highlights the complexities and contradictions within the federal contracting system, where politics and cronyism often seem to trump transparency and accountability.
In a striking display of bureaucratic inconsistency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded a $30,000 no-bid contract for sniper and combat training to a Virginia firm run by Dan LaLota, the brother of US Representative Nick LaLota, a second-term Republican from New York. The award was finalized on September 2, and the Target Down Group of Mechanicsville, Virginia, will provide a five-day precision fires and observation course for the Homeland Security Investigations' Special Response Team (SRT) sniper program.
According to federal procurement records, the SRT contract was issued on a sole-source basis, with officials citing Target Down Group's prior work with Homeland Security Investigations as well as its pre-clearance to conduct live-fire exercises at a law enforcement facility in Arizona. This decision has raised eyebrows among lawmakers and critics, who point out that the contract was awarded without competitive bidding, which is typically required for federal awards.
The lack of transparency surrounding this award has sparked concerns about potential conflicts of interest and cronyism within the DHS bureaucracy. Rep. Nick LaLota's involvement in the contracting process has also raised questions, given his role on the House Homeland Security Committee in the previous session.
Dan LaLota, the CEO of Target Down Group, downplayed any connection between his company's work with ICE and his brother's position in Congress. "I'm not a new guy on the block," he told WIRED. "To say my company would be the only one eligible would not be unsound." However, LaLota declined to discuss details of his company's work with DHS, citing concerns about privacy.
This award is part of a larger trend of no-bid contracts being awarded by federal agencies without competitive bidding. Federal acquisition rules allow sole-source contracts under certain conditions, effectively bypassing the competitive bidding process often required for federal awards.
The Target Down Group's website lists Dan LaLota, a retired Marine sniper, as the company's president. According to his brother's congressional biography, Dan LaLota served two decades in the Marine Corps, including tours with Force Reconnaissance and Marine Special Operations Command, earning a Bronze Star with Valor for actions in Fallujah, Iraq. LaLota told WIRED he also has seven years as a scout sniper instructor.
Federal procurement records list Target Down Group as a Virginia company; however, state records show the firm is not legally authorized to operate as a Virginia corporation at this time, having been terminated in November 2024 automatically after failing to meet its yearly filing and fee requirements with the state's corporate registry. Nevertheless, the company was registered separately in Florida as of July.
This curious case highlights the complexities and contradictions within the federal contracting system, where politics and cronyism often seem to trump transparency and accountability. As WIRED reported earlier this year, DHS plans to direct states and tribes to halt activities intended to combat domestic violent extremism, a decision that has sparked controversy among lawmakers and civil rights groups.
In another development, the State Department's law enforcement arm is now involved in immigration enforcement, an area solidly outside its usual duties. One source compares it to IRS agents investigating espionage at NASA.
The award of this no-bid contract to Target Down Group raises questions about the lack of oversight within the DHS bureaucracy and the potential for cronyism and conflicts of interest. As lawmakers continue to investigate these allegations, it is essential to examine the broader implications of such decisions on the integrity of federal contracting practices.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-Curious-Case-of-DHS-No-Bid-Contract-A-Web-of-Deception-and-Politics-ehn.shtml
https://www.wired.com/story/us-congressmans-brother-lands-no-bid-contract-to-train-dhs-snipers/
Published: Thu Sep 4 16:31:21 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
