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Report Hits Cunningham Favored Limo Company
What do you do if you're competing for a transportation contract with the Department of Homeland Security but don't actually own any buses? Get Duke Cunningham.
From The Blotter:
The Department of Homeland Security violated government regulations by awarding a multi-million-dollar contract to a limousine company with ties to the Duke Cunningham scandal, a recent investigation concluded....What's more, the inspector general's report determined that DHS failed to conduct due diligence on Shirlington to ensure they could fulfill the terms of the contract, which required the company to run several shuttle buses for DHS employees and provide drivers and dispatchers for a fleet of government cars.
Shortly after Shirlington got the contract, it told DHS it did not have buses for the agency, according to the report. It said it did not have the money to buy new buses and asked for a cash advance from the department to help buy new ones, investigators found.
DHS declined the request. It took several weeks for Shirlington to lease new buses to ferry department employees to and from work, according to the report.
Comments (17)
Englischlehrer wrote on May 15, 2007 5:39 PM:zed! hahaha
Toxophilite wrote on May 15, 2007 6:02 PM:When did this happen? The Dukestir has been in jail for a while now and I'm sincerely hoping he no longer has any clout in Washington, especially on the awarding of contracts. Did someone besides ol' Duke "earn" some walking around money on this?
An interesting question now would be, is Shirlington doing the job for the dollar amount negotiated, or can they just bill for whatever amount suits their fancy this month?
Have competing companies complained about the process? Would it do any good?
sponson wrote on May 15, 2007 6:07 PM:We have to conclude from this that there was no real checking of the credentials of the company, only a directive from the Dukestir to give them a government contract. If they didn't check the capabilities of Shirlington, how are we to believe that the company was checked out for security risks? This is the Department of Homeland Security, and we're talking about the limos for Tom Ridge and later Chertoff, the top person in charge of responding to a terrorist attack. If Waxman is not already on this one, he needs to be. I know he's got his hands full as it is, but this is highly illustrative of how "they" operate. Cronyism literally comes before the national security to these people.
Anonymous wrote on May 15, 2007 7:14 PM:Why are gov't employees provided with limousine service anyway?!
uncle vester wrote on May 15, 2007 7:16 PM:sc=please
Please, sir, may have some money for some buses so we can fulfill our contract to..um..?
Ben Franklin wrote on May 15, 2007 7:26 PM:I apologize in advance for derailing the topic at hand, but did anyone hear Greg Palast tell Amy Goodman that he's got 500 emails from Rove RE the USA scandel that have not been turned over to congress?
TPM didn't say anything about this today. What's up?
sailmaker wrote on May 15, 2007 8:02 PM:Ben,
Here is the link to the Palast/Goodman interview.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/22379
He doesn't talk much about the 500 emails - refers to his book 'Armed Madhouse', which I am off to read.
uncle vester wrote on May 15, 2007 9:09 PM:Ben,
I saw this a couple of days ago-
http://2004.georgewbush.org/deadletteroffice/index.asp
This may be what Palast is talking about.
Mrs Panstreppon wrote on May 15, 2007 9:31 PM:This contract was so bogus. Compare it to Shirlington Limo's other government business as per FedSpending.org:
2000
HUD - $142K
2001
$0
2002
$0
2003
Dept of Transportation - $82K
Other agencies - $64,540
2004
Dept of Transportation - $42,659
2005
Treasury - $225
2006
Treasury - $675
Christopher D. Baker is the owner of Shirlington Limos. In 2/06, a Christopher D. Baker registered the Baker Security Group Inc. in Maryland and I have wondered for awhile if the two Christopher D. Bakers were one and the same.
Buck wrote on May 15, 2007 11:04 PM:NY Times just put up a big headliner:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/washington/16nsa.html?hp
Steve5117 wrote on May 15, 2007 11:13 PM:Mrs. Panstreppon There used to be a towing company in Howard County owned by a Jack Baker. I sure he is dead now but not unreasonable to think politically connected sons branching out into limos from tow trucks.
On more that one occasion I heard Jack Baker talking about the politicians who traveled US 1 (long before B-W Pky and I-95) who went to the cat houses on Kit Kat Rd.
I have heard a variety of stories about inovative arangements for sexual encounters in Howard County. My favorite was an old gas station where customers would pull their car on a lift that was then raised to provide privacy. The Jack Baker I knew towed more than 1 politico's car from Howard County when there was nothing wrong with the car. On some occasions the driver was too drunk to drive and on others the driver was occupied in the back seat. Jake said the pols loved the service.
It would not surprise me if these Bakers were family
Mrs Panstreppon wrote on May 15, 2007 11:22 PM:Steve, I don't know where Howard County is but Christopher D. Baker, owner of Shirlington Limos, is black if that helps you place him.
Steve5117 wrote on May 15, 2007 11:34 PM:The Jack Baker I knew was white.
Howard County can be reached via US 29 from DC which leads to Columbia and Ellicott City. US 1 and I-95 both go through Howard County which begins just north of Laurel.
Moose Kateer wrote on May 15, 2007 11:37 PM:Kit Kat Rd intersects US 1 just north of Montevideo Rd. and Waterloo State Police Barracks.
On 22 June 2006, former NBC news producer Daniel Hopsicker reported on another dubious "Homeland Security" transportation contract for a Florida aviation company; it garnered high praise from First Brother and Gov. Jeb Bush just days before one of its jets, subsequently linked to the CIA, was seized in Mexico with a cargo of 5.5 tons of cocaine.
"Less than two weeks before the company declared bankruptcy which owned the DC9 recently busted in Mexico with 5.5 tons of cocaine onboard, Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s Department of Transportation issued a press release touting the firm’s bright future in Homeland Security and announcing it had been selected to be the state’s primary provider of airport security applications." -- http://www.madcowprod.com/06222006.html
Hopsicker also has filled in some of the gaps in former FBI linguist and whistleblower Sibel Edmonds' pre-State Secrets gag order claims that, among other conspirators, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert was linked to pre-9/11 Turkish arms and drug-smuggling.
Perhaps Hopsicker isn't a politically correct "journalist" to bring up in this venue.
Steve5117 wrote on May 15, 2007 11:39 PM:Howard County is also the home of Benjamine Bannaker and Charles Carrol of Carrolton.
Steve5117 wrote on May 15, 2007 11:52 PM:I must correct myself. Benjamin Bannaker was born in Baltimore County.
tekel wrote on May 16, 2007 12:46 AM:Moose: Using CIA planes to smuggle coke into Florida from Mexico is perfectly consistent with "Homeland Security." We're a civilized nation! You can't possibly expect Jeb, Noel, the President, or his girls Jenna and Not-Jenna to score their blow out on the street like common laborers. Think of the scandal! This isn't India. We have standards here!
Security code "weight," as in "Jeb, get the scale. I think these keys are a little light- those goddamn beaners are messing with the weight again."