New questions about Halliburton payments
As if the old questions weren't enough. Rep. Henry Waxman's Government Reform Minority Office is on the case:
December 2, 2005 -- In a letter (pdf) to Chairman Davis, Rep. Waxman discloses that the Army Corps of Engineers has paid Halliburton $130 million in cost reimbursements, profits, and bonuses for billings related to fuel imports and oilfield repairs in Iraq that Defense Department auditors determined to be unreasonable and unsupported.
In making the payment, the Corps of Engineers appears to have ignored auditor findings in three ways: by reimbursing Halliburton for the challenged costs, by permitting Halliburton to collect profits on these challenged costs, and by giving Halliburton unwarranted bonuses. Halliburton received some of its highest bonuses for the projects with the most inflated costs.
And the Navy just awarded Halliburton another $15 million for Hurricane Wilma cleanup. They've already received $124.9 million for post-Katrina contracts.
When does the list of scandals get so long that taxpayers can cut them off (pdf)?
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Chris Kromm
Chris Kromm is executive director of the Institute for Southern Studies and publisher of the Institute's online magazine, Facing South.