To protect the government's interests, any agency can exclude (i.e., debar or suspend) parties from receiving federal contracts or assistance for a range of offenses. Exclusions of companies or individuals from federal contracts or other funding are listed in the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), a Web-based system. Recent allegations indicate that excluded parties have been able to receive federal contracts. This report: (1) determines whether these allegations could be substantiated; and (2) to identify the key causes of any improper awards and other payments detected. The auditor investigated parties that were excluded for offenses such as fraud, theft, and violations of federal statutes and received awards in excess of $1,000. Charts and tables.