U.S. Government Matters | U.S. Government Matters We provide services to various U.S. governmental agencies, which include the U.S. DoD and the Department of State. We may have disagreements or experience performance issues on our U.S. government contracts. When performance issues arise under any of these contracts, the U.S. government retains the right to pursue various remedies, including challenges to expenditures, suspension of payments, fines and suspensions or debarment from future business with the U.S. government. The negotiation, administration and settlement of our contracts are subject to audit by the DCAA. The DCAA serves in an advisory role to the DCMA, and the DCMA is responsible for the administration of the majority of our contracts. The scope of these audits include, among other things, the validity of direct and indirect incurred costs, provisional approval of annual billing rates, approval of annual overhead rates, compliance with the FAR and CAS, compliance with certain unique contract clauses and audits of certain aspects of our internal control systems. Based on the information received to date, we do not believe the completed or ongoing government audits will have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows. Legacy U.S. Government Matters Between 2002 and 2011, we provided significant support to the U.S. Army and other U.S. government agencies in support of the war in Iraq under the LogCAP III contract. We continue to support the U.S. government around the world under the LogCAP IV and other contracts. We have been in the process of closeout of the LogCAP III contract since 2011, and we expect the closeout process to continue through at least 2019. As a result of our work under LogCAP III, there are claims and disputes pending between us and the U.S. government which need to be resolved in order to close the contract. The closeout process includes resolving objections raised by the U.S. government through a billing dispute process referred to as Form 1s and MFRs. We continue to work with the U.S. government to resolve these issues and are engaged in efforts to reach mutually acceptable resolution of these outstanding matters. However, for certain of these matters, we have filed claims with the ASBCA or the COFC. We also have matters related to ongoing litigation or investigations involving U.S. government contracts. We anticipate billing additional labor, vendor resolution and litigation costs as we resolve the open matters. At this time, we cannot determine the timing or net amounts to be collected or paid to close out these contracts. Form 1s The U.S. government has issued Form 1s questioning or objecting to costs we billed to them under cost reimbursable contracts primarily related to (1) our use of private security and our provision of containerized housing under the LogCAP III contract discussed above and (2) our provision of emergency construction services primarily to U.S. government facilities damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma, under our CONCAP III contract with the U.S. Navy. As a consequence of the issuance of the Form 1s, the U.S. government has withheld payment to us on outstanding invoices, pending resolution of these matters. The U.S. government has issued and has outstanding Form 1s questioning $171 million of billed costs as of June 30, 2018 . They had previously paid us $88 million of the questioned costs related to our services on these contracts. The remaining balance of $83 million as of June 30, 2018 is included on our condensed balance sheet in “Claims and accounts receivable", "Contract assets" and "Accounts Receivable" in the amounts of $77 million , $4 million , and $2 million respectively. In addition, we have withheld $26 million from our subcontractors at June 30, 2018 related to these questioned costs. While we continue to believe that the amounts we have invoiced the U.S. government are in compliance with our contract terms and that recovery is probable, we also continue to evaluate our ability to recover these amounts as new information becomes known. As is common in the industry, negotiating and resolving these matters is often an involved and lengthy process, which sometimes necessitates the filing of claims or other legal action as discussed above. Concurrent with our continued negotiations with the U.S. government, we await the rulings on the filed claims. We are unable to predict when the rulings will be issued or when the matters will be settled or resolved with the U.S. government. As a result of the Form 1s, and claims discussed above as well as open audits, we have accrued a reserve for unallowable costs at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 of $55 million and $51 million , respectively, as a reduction to "Claims and accounts receivable" and in "Other liabilities" on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. Private Security Contractors. Starting in February 2007, we received a series of Form 1s from the DCAA informing us of the U.S. government's intent to deny reimbursement to us under the LogCAP III cost reimbursable contract for amounts related to the use of PSCs by KBR and a subcontractor in connection with its work for KBR providing dining facility services in Iraq between 2003 and 2006. The government challenged $56 million in billings. The government had previously paid $11 million and has withheld payments of $45 million , which as of June 30, 2018 we have recorded as due from the government related to this matter in "Claims and accounts receivable" on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. On June 16, 2014, we received a decision from the ASBCA which agreed with KBR's position (i) that the LogCAP III contract did not prohibit the use of PSCs to provide force protection to KBR or subcontractor personnel, (ii) that there was a need for force protection and (iii) that the costs were reasonable. The ASBCA also found that the Army breached its obligation to provide force protection. Accordingly, we believe that we are entitled to reimbursement by the Army for the amounts charged by our subcontractors, even if they incurred costs for PSCs. The Army appealed the decision. On June 12, 2017, we received a second ruling from the ASBCA that we are entitled to recover the withheld costs in the approximate amount of $45 million plus interest related to the use of PSCs. The Army filed a notice of appeal on October 12, 2017 and filed its brief on April 10, 2018. We responded and the Army filed its final brief in June. Oral arguments are expected to occur later this year. At this time, we believe the likelihood that we will incur a loss related to this matter is remote, and therefore we have not accrued any loss provisions related to this matter. Investigations, Qui Tams and Litigation The following matters relate to ongoing litigation or federal investigations involving U.S. government contracts. Many of these matters involve allegations of violations of the FCA, which prohibits in general terms fraudulent billings to the U.S. government. Suits brought by private individuals are called "qui tams." We believe the costs of litigation and any damages that may be awarded in the FKTC and Burn Pit matters described below are billable under the LogCAP III contract and that any such costs or damages awarded in the Sodium Dichromate matter, which is now resolved and is described in our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K, are billable under the RIO contract and a related indemnity agreement with the U.S. government. All costs billed under LogCAP III or RIO are subject to audit by the DCAA for reasonableness. First Kuwaiti Trading Company arbitration. In April 2008, FKTC, one of our LogCAP III subcontractors providing housing containers, filed for arbitration with the American Arbitration Association all its claims under various LogCAP III subcontracts. After complete hearings on all claims, the arbitration panel awarded FKTC $17 million plus interest for claims involving damages on lost or unreturned vehicles. In addition, we determined that we owe FKTC $32 million in connection with other subcontracts. We paid FKTC $19 million and will pay $4 million on pay-when-paid terms in the contract. We have accrued amounts we believe are payable to FKTC in "Accounts payable" and "Other current liabilities" on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. The remaining $26 million owed to FKTC under the contract has not been billed to the government and we will not do so until the related claims and disputes between KBR and the government over the FKTC living container contract are resolved (see KBR Contract Claim on FKTC containers below). At this time, we believe the likelihood that we would incur a loss related to this matter in excess of the amounts we have accrued is remote. Burn Pit litigation. Since November 2008, KBR has been served with more than 60 lawsuits in various states alleging exposure to toxic materials resulting from the operation of burn pits in Iraq or Afghanistan in connection with services provided by KBR under the LogCAP III contract. These suits were consolidated in U.S. Federal District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland. The plaintiffs claimed unspecified damages. On January 13, 2017, KBR filed a renewed motion to dismiss and for summary judgment. On July 19, 2017, the trial court issued its ruling granting KBR’s motions to dismiss on jurisdictional ground and for summary judgment. In lengthy fact findings, the Court concluded that the military made all the relevant decisions about the use, location and operation of burn pits. The plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal, and the cases are now pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. All briefing has been filed and oral argument took place on May 9, 2018. On June 20, 2018, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court's dismissal. We anticipate that plaintiffs will consider filing an application for writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. At this time, we believe the likelihood that we would incur a loss related to this matter is remote. As of June 30, 2018, no amounts have been accrued. Qui tams. We have two qui tam or FCA cases pending, one of which has been joined by the U.S. government (see DOJ False Claims Act complaint - Iraq Subcontractor below) and one qui tam case that was concluded in the first quarter. At this time, we believe the likelihood that we would incur a loss in the qui tams the U.S. government has not joined is remote and as of June 30, 2018 , no amounts have been accrued. Costs incurred in defending the qui tams cannot be billed to the U.S. government until those matters are successfully resolved in our favor. If successfully resolved, we can bill 80% of the costs to the U.S. government under federal regulations. As of June 30, 2018 , we have incurred and expensed $4 million in legal costs incurred in defending ourselves in qui tams. These cases are discussed below: Barko qui tam. Relator Harry Barko, a KBR subcontracts administrator in Iraq for a year in 2004/2005, filed a qui tam lawsuit in June 2005 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging violations of the FCA by KBR and its subcontractors Daoud & Partners and Eamar Combined for General Trading and Contracting. The DOJ investigated Barko's allegations and elected not to intervene. The claim was unsealed in March of 2009. On March 14, 2017, the Court granted KBR's motion for summary judgment and dismissed the case. The plaintiff filed a notice of appeal and oral argument on the appeal took place in early December 2017. On December 27, 2017, the Court of Appeals issued its decision confirming the trial court's granting of KBR's motion for summary judgment. The Relator did not file an application for writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court and the time for such a filing has expired. The resolution of this matter did not have a material impact to our condensed consolidated financial statements. Howard qui tam. In March 2011, Geoffrey Howard and Zella Hemphill filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois alleging that KBR mischarged the U.S. government $628 million for unnecessary materials and equipment. In October 2014, the DOJ declined to intervene and the case was partially unsealed. Discovery is ongoing in this case and is expected to continue into 2019. As of June 30, 2018, no amounts have been accrued. DOJ False Claims Act complaint - Iraq Subcontractor. In January 2014, the DOJ filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois against KBR and two former KBR subcontractors, including FKTC, alleging that three former KBR employees were offered and accepted kickbacks from these subcontractors in exchange for favorable treatment in the award and performance of subcontracts to be awarded during the course of KBR's performance of the LogCAP III contract in Iraq. The complaint alleges that as a result of the kickbacks, KBR submitted invoices with inflated or unjustified subcontract prices, resulting in alleged violations of the FCA and the Anti-Kickback Act. The DOJ's investigation dates back to 2004. We self-reported most of the violations and tendered credits to the U.S. government as appropriate. On May 22, 2014, FKTC filed a motion to dismiss, which the U.S. government opposed. Following the submission of our answer in April 2014, the U.S. government was granted a Motion to Strike certain affirmative defenses in March 2015. We do not believe this limits KBR's ability to fully defend all allegations in this matter. As of June 30, 2018 , we have accrued our best estimate of probable loss related to an unfavorable settlement of this matter in "Other liabilities" on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. At this time, we believe the likelihood that we would incur a loss related to this matter in excess of the amounts we have accrued is remote. Discovery in the case has been extended to October 2018 and no trial date has been set. Other matters KBR Contract Claim on FKTC containers. |