Blackwater’s contracts questioned

Private security contractor Blackwater Worldwide and its affiliates may have misrepresented their size to win more than $100 million in government contracts set aside for small businesses, a report by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General says.

In fiscal 2005 through 2007, Blackwater and affiliates won 32 small-business contracts worth more than $2.1 million even though the work was restricted to companies with revenue of $6.5 million or less, according to the report. One contract had a revenue ceiling of $750,000.

The Moyock-based company, which built its name protecting U.S. diplomats in Baghdad, said last week that it’s on track to reach annual revenue of $1 billion by 2010.