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DoD IG: KBR Overcharged The Navy After Hurricane Katrina
We pointed out this morning the New York Times story that suggested KBR was over charging the military on Iraq-related contracts and threatening to cut off services to combat troops if the bills weren't paid.
Now here's another one about KBR's billing. This time from the Department of Defense Inspector General. And it looks at the company's role in the clean-up efforts after Hurricane Katrina.
The Houston Chronicle reports:
The Pentagon Inspector General said he could find no documentation in Navy contracting files to back up KBR claims it paid fair and reasonable prices to subcontractors that served meals in New Orleans."The prices KBR agreed to pay were greatly inflated," the 86-page audit said.
"The Navy paid approximately $4.1 million for meals and services we calculate should have cost $1.7 million, more than a $2.3 million difference," said the audit, signed by Assistant Inspector General for Acquisition Management Richard Jolliffe.
. . . Altogether, the audit requested that the Navy seek refunds of at least $8.5 million for "inappropriate" payments to KBR.
Modern day pirates.
KBR: "Join our crew! Plunder tax dollars from the U.S. Navy!"
June 17, 2008 7:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm just wondering - isn't war profiteering illegal?
June 18, 2008 9:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not in this war - it's the point.
June 18, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Did you ever notice that whenever KBR and the other privateers screw up their invoices that it seems to always be significantly in their favor?
And about that lack of documentation - how come that works for them, but if you try that crap on the IRS, they win? How come is that?
June 17, 2008 8:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Surely no one is at all surprised. This is Cheney's former company after all. Cheney is a snake in the grass and the thinking head of the entire Bush cabal. Notice he was dispatched by Bush's daddy to find a VP who could baby sit the Bush kid. Actually, Cheney is the despot in this situation. GW is merely a little boy playing president and Cheney is the one who holds the power and calls the shots. Daddy knew perfectly well what a mess sonny would make but the Veep has not done any better, in fact maybe even worse.
June 17, 2008 10:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
A fast google of the KBR spokesperson Heather Browne revealed she is also a "Bush campaign aide".
It makes my chest hurt to think of these vultures warmongering, then shamelessly sucking off the american people to serve bad food to the troops and shaft New Orleans pretty much in broad daylight.
I would do some more searches but I feel that doing CPR on myself would not make for a relaxing evening.
Follow that money, NYTs!
June 17, 2008 10:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shocking....NOT.
June 18, 2008 10:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bring charges - surely the military must have some way to deal with contract fraud. Why does everyone in the government just take this abuse? They are like women who are so beaten down in an abusive
relationship that they can't get out. It's time for an intervention.
June 18, 2008 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
In 2005 I stumbled upon a meeting of KBR, Kellogg Brown & Root, Halliburton, KerMcghee and BANK OF AMERICA. I wanted to just sream "Shame on You" as they partied and celebrated at the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Boca Raton, Florida.
People were laughing at a large gathering, perhaps thirty at what had to be $300 a plate. I was amazed at the sheer arrogance, the sense of entitlement and detachment from everything going on around them. Five US Marines died this particular day. And when I tell you these people did not care...THEY DID NOT CARE. They do not care about anything or anybody other than themselves and their pursuit of money.
Since then Bank of America has reported "better than expected" earnings in their equity department, is lobbying for a change in the banking law to allow for expansion beyond 10% of branches in the country and is so cash rich that it can buy Countrywide Financial.
June 18, 2008 7:19 PM | Reply | Permalink