720 ILCS 5/33E-4 – Bid Rotating
This law makes it illegal for people or businesses to take turns winning government contracts through secret agreements.
This law says that if someone joins a plan to take turns winning bids for government contracts, they are breaking the law. It is a serious crime that can lead to prison time and being banned from doing business with the government.
Sec. 33E-4. Bid rotating. A person breaks this law if they agree with others to take turns winning government contract bids. This means they work together to make sure each person or company gets a turn at winning. A “pattern over time” means at least three bids within ten years, with the newest one happening after 1988.
Sentence: This crime is a Class 2 felony. If someone is found guilty, they can never again make contracts with any part of the state or local government. This rule also applies to anyone convicted of a similar crime in another state or by the U.S. government.
A company will not be banned from government contracts just because one of its employees is guilty, as long as:
- The employee who broke the law no longer works for the company, and the company has been cleared of wrongdoing; or
- The company proves to the government that none of its leaders (directors, officers, or top managers) told or allowed the employee to commit the crime.
Contact us online or call (314) 900-HELP to talk with a Southern Illinois criminal defense lawyer.
