Check AF Times site....the base IG at Nellis said seven contracts violated the law...from Jun 2003 to December 2005 (almost three years ago that the last occurred). $50 million in contract costs involved. In one case....the folks involved were rigging the entire deal for fair competition by sliding the money to their favorite vendor....through an Alaska Native Corporation. For those who haven’t observed this Alaska Native game....there are a couple of these...”funnels”....which are rigged up for DOD, Homeland Security, and NGA. The government rigged up the game so it looks like the Indians are running the corporations...but they really aren’t, and then some of these Air Force managers think that they can use the Alaska Native “funnel” to help unfairly arrange contracts to special friends. There are millions which run this way every month....all perfectly legal....and created by our friends in Alaska (Senator Ted Stevens), who is currently is under investigation for his own problems.
That’s a lot deeper than initially reported. Sounds like these guys had any number of things to be fired over.
The ol’ 8A racket....
They had a similar problem about 15 years ago, only with minority owned companies. Congress passed a law giving minority owned businesses an advantage in government contracts. Some companies grabbed street people and made them CEOs of front companies just to get the contracts. Sixty Minutes did a segment on it.
For example, TRACOR-Flight Systems was notorious for using ‘finger puppets’ to land massive contracts in the early 80s. Most defense contracts have done this.
Nothing new.
Except the corrupt brass is finally getting their hands slapped. (forced retirement with full bennis is not punishment)
ping