BACKSTORY John Murtha’s nephew gets millions in Pentagon contracts without competition......to a facility that appears non-productive. "Murtech" is located in a low-slung, bland building in a Glen Burnie business park......with blinds drawn tight, and few signs of life. On several days of observation, a handful of cars sit in the parking lot, and no trucks arrive at the 10 loading bays at the back of the building. Yet, last year alone, Murtech received $4 million in Pentagon work, all of it without competition, for a variety of warehousing and engineering services.
The Washington Post notes that Robert’s not the only Murtha doing government business............His father, John Murtha’s brother Robert Sr, runs another highly-successful lobbying group, KSA, that specializes in — wait for it — defense contracts from the Appropriations Committee.
There may be good reasons to occasionally award no-bid contracts for highly specialized work, but warehousing doesn’t fall into that category. Granting no-bid Pentagon contracts to a powerful Congressman’s nephew screams for an investigation, and a deeper look at the “culture of corruption” that seems to surround John Murtha and his allies on Capitol Hill.
COMMENTS There's so many crimes being committed here it's not even funny. Can you say government fraud, conspiracy, kickbacks, money laundering? Conspiracy counts might include mail fraud, electronic fraud, and accounting fraud.
L/E might consider:
(a) conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and evade US banking laws,
(b) international money laundering,
(c) conspiracy to commit money laundering, and,
(d) aiding and abetting the preparation of false federal/state income tax returns.
Authorities might examine the company's receipts to falsely verify bogus charitable contributions (kickbacks) and multiple conspiracies and transfers of funds as part of a money-laundering conspiracy.
Government audits might show off-the-books bank accounts that were accessed solely by insiders, and that government-funds were used in various illegal schemes that might have integrated:
(1) money laundering,
(2) tax evasion (stolen money is taxable),
(3) violations of US banking and currency laws,
(4) conspiracy to commit wire fraud,
(5) commercial bribery in various financial schemes,
(6) establishing secret offshore bank accounts outside the purview of the IRS and US banking laws,
(7) fraudulent and casual accounting practices,
(8) non-existent financial oversight,
(9) Having a hidden financial interest in companies faking business with Murtech,
(10) Putting phantom employees on the payroll (money laundering).
Thanks for your posts, Liz.