Dominique L. Casimir, Shane A. Pennington, Elizabeth N. Jochum, and Amanda C. DeLaPerriere ●
The Small Business Administration (“SBA”) began demanding repayment of grant funds distributed to more than 600 businesses under the COVID-era Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (“SVOG”) Program in June 2025. The purpose of the SVOG Program was to provide emergency assistance to eligible businesses that organize, promote, produce, manage, or host live performing arts events. To be eligible for a grant under the SVOG Program, grantees had to submit extensive documentation satisfying the eligibility criteria under 15 U.S.C. § 9009a. Years later, well after the SBA determined that applicants were eligible for grant funds, and well after the approved grantees spent their grant funds as required under the terms of the grants themselves, the SBA is reversing en masse hundreds of it its own prior eligibility determinations and demanding repayment of grant funds in full, with potentially catastrophic effects for grantees.
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