A company that won a $1.5 billion government contract with help from a lobbyist who channeled millions of dollars into a Trump cabinet member's reality show has done no work — except eating some doughnuts, according to a new report.
Virginia-based contractor Peraton has infuriated Federal Aviation Administration officials with its lack of progress in overhauling the nation's air traffic control system, three sources told Politico Thursday.
One person told Politico, “Peraton has basically not done any work since they got in."
It's been eight months since the Transportation Department handed Peraton the contract to oversee the crucial work of preventing deadly midair crashes like the one Washington, D.C. witnessed in January 2025.
Sources told Politico that time has not been well spent, as Peraton failed to manage subcontractors and let schedules slip.
In one case, a Peraton manager was spotted sitting in a corner and eating doughnuts instead of managing subcontractors, according to an industry official.
FAA spokesperson Hannah Walden denied delays in a statement to Politico, claiming Peraton was “making unprecedented progress" and noted the FAA has not penalized the contractor for underperformance.
Peraton said in a statement that it is “working side-by-side with their team every day."
This report also appeared "side-by-side" with the release of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's new reality show, "The Great American Road Trip."
The show was funded by a nonprofit whose directors include Mark Bednar, the lobbyist who represented Peraton the same year the contractor won its contract, according to filings unearthed by Politico earlier this summer.
Both Boeing and Toyota have admitted they gave Great American Road Trip, Inc. $1 million each to fund the show. Forbes estimates the nonprofit could have raked in as much as $5 million from corporate sponsors.
When Peraton announced it won the $1.5 billion contract, the company called out Duffy by name for thanks.
