SAIC participates in the U.S. political process to ensure that the company’s interests — as a leading provider of mission-oriented solutions for national security, energy and environment, health, and cybersecurity, and as a large employer — are appropriately represented. The company maintains a detailed oversight process to make certain that political activities and lobbying expenditures are conducted in a legal, ethical, and transparent manner.
Board Oversight
SAIC’s political activities are overseen by the SAIC Board of Directors, the SAIC Government Affairs Office, and senior company leaders. The board of directors, through the Ethics and Corporate Responsibility Committee, annually reviews the political activities of the corporation and the SAIC Voluntary Political Action Committee.
SAIC Voluntary Political Action Committee
The SAIC Voluntary Political Action Committee (VPAC) is a separate, segregated fund established by SAIC in accordance with federal law in 1994. It is funded by voluntary contributions from eligible SAIC employees, shareholders, and directors. The VPAC strengthens the political voice of those SAIC employees by combining separate donations into larger contributions and assisting in electing candidates supportive of SAIC's business and its interests. The VPAC is nonpartisan and is managed by the VPAC Committee, which consists of members representing SAIC’s major business segments, and is chaired by the senior vice president, Legislative Affairs. The VPAC only makes contributions to federal congressional candidates. It does not make contributions for the presidential elections or at the state or local level. In accordance with the VPAC bylaws and with federal law, all contributions made by the VPAC are reported to the Federal Election Committee (FEC) and a full listing of them can be found on the FEC website at www.fec.gov.
State and Local Giving
SAIC also makes political contributions at the state and local level in conjunction with our broader community engagement agenda. These contributions are carefully vetted by our Government Affairs Office and legal counsel, and are reviewed annually by the SAIC Board of Directors. All contributions are fully disclosed to the appropriate jurisdictions as required by applicable state and local laws.
Lobbying Expenditures
SAIC participates in industry associations and interacts directly with various stakeholders throughout government in an effort to educate, inform, and advocate on behalf of the corporation, our employees and our shareholders. These communications are often regulated by federal, state, and local laws. In accordance with applicable laws, such activity and associated expenses are reported on a regular basis. In compliance with the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), SAIC’s lobbying activities and expenses, as defined by Section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, are disclosed to the U.S. Congress on a quarterly basis. Federal reports disclosing lobbying activity and expenses, including activity at the state level and grassroots efforts, are available to the public via the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives at the following website: http://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov/.
The company also files periodic reports with state and local agencies reflecting lobbying activities regulated by relevant state and local laws.