Jailed Ex-Official Linked To More Defense Contracts

[stevedeshazer]

link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24924-2005Feb14.html

By Renae Merle
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 15, 2005; Page E01

Darleen A. Druyun, the former Air Force procurement official who admitted showing Boeing Co. favoritism on contracts, may have unduly influenced eight other contracts worth about $3 billion, including four awarded to other companies, Pentagon officials said yesterday.

Druyun's admissions last year sparked a review of 407 contracts she dealt with during her nine-year tenure as a top Air Force procurement official. The possible irregularities were referred to the Pentagon's inspector general for further review, the officials said.

The contracting process may have been "sped up, interrupted or unduly influenced" by Druyun, Mike Wynne, the Pentagon's acting acquisition chief, told reporters at a briefing. "It pains me to find any instance where the contracts could have been manipulated for other than the best interest of the taxpayer. There is no best practice or metric that allows for anything other than zero defects in this area."

The Defense Contract Management Agency found that in some of the contracts, Druyun changed the outcome of the award decision or directed someone else to, according to a source briefed on the review. Air Force officials coined the term "DSS: Darleen Says So" as a short response to dismiss questions about Druyun's decisions, said the source, who would speak only on condition of anonymity. In some cases, the cost of the contract increased or the requirements were "watered down" or written after the contract award, the source added.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. I haven't been following this closely lately

are there any other links to past stories about this? She CAN'T be the only one...

[stevedeshazer]

3. First one I've seen in the MSM

I'm sure there are many more.

on edit: okay, here's another!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1238302

[punpirate]

4. There's a current Army auditor...

... being pressured out of her job because she thought "don't ask, don't tell" contracting procedures for Halliburton were wrong. Google "Bunnatine Greenhouse" on her story.

Then, there's "Operation Tailwind" and you'll get a pretty good history of illegal defense contracting.

As for the specifics on her case, just google "Boeing" and "tanker leasing" and you'll get a slew of stories on this particular case.

On edit, I should add that what's technically legal in defense contracting is equally a scandal. There's Frank Carlucci's ruling on "fast-tracking" defense contractors and Dick Cheney's privatization schemes when he was Sec. of Defense, and a long, long list of simply administrative tricks to keep the money flowing to the major defense contractors--not to mention manufactured wars.

Cheers.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. I am familiar with all the latter

that's why I was asking for more on this particular story. Thanks to you and Steve

[punpirate]

6. Oops! Thought you wanted other examples...

... rather than more people involved in this specific scandal. I don't recall names of any other DoD personnel being involved in this. However, there are stories that came out shortly after Druyan was charged that suggest that some Congress people were at least sympathetic with Boeing, despite the charges of fraud and collusion.

Even after Druyan was charged, and the appropriation seemed to fall apart, the Congressional representative of the Wichita, KS district that included Boeing tried to revive it, since Boeing said it might have to close their Wichita plant, since the tanker fitting and decommissioning work was to be done there.

Of course, in this and in more recent talk of budget cutbacks, no defense employer said, "well, we'll just return these facilities to commercial product production."

[GetTheRightVote]

2. Our honestly elected govt going right down the toilet, this sucks

:kick:

[Moderator]

7. kick

to combine posts

[emad]

8. US aircraft deals inquiry

February 16, 2005

Times
From Abigail Rayner in New York



THE Pentagon has uncovered eight more US Air Force contracts worth $3 billion (£1.6 billion) that were allegedly influenced by Darleen Druyun, the disgraced former acquisitions official who later went to work for Boeing.

Ms Druyun was jailed for nine months after pleading guilty last April to conspiring with Michael Sears, Boeing’s former chief financial officer, to lease and buy 100 Boeing 767s as refuelling aircraft in 2002. She admitted that she had favoured Boeing for years while employed by the Air Force.

The US Defence Department is investigating four Boeing contracts between 1998 and 2000 and is also looking at two others that were awarded to Lockheed Martin. Further contracts that were awarded to Systems & Electronics and Accenture are also under scrutiny.

Spokesmen for Boeing and Lockheed Martin said their companies would co-operate with investigators.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,172-1486041,00.html