Halliburton Co Used Military Supplies For Own Party

[Robbien]

NEW YORK (AP)--Halliburton (HAL) subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root charged millions to the government for recreational services never provided to U.S. troops in Iraq, including giant tubs of chicken wings and tacos, a widescreen TV, and cheese sticks meant for a military Super Bowl party, according to a federal whistle-blower suit unsealed Friday.
Instead, the suit alleges, KBR used the military's supplies for its own football party.

Filed last year in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., by former KBR employee Julie McBride, the lawsuit claims the giant defense contractor billed the government for thousands of meals it never served, inflated the number of soldiers using its fitness and Internet centers, and regularly siphoned off great quantities of supplies destined for American soldiers.
McBride was hired by KBR in 2004 as a "morale, welfare and recreation" coordinator at Camp Fallujah, a Marine installation about 35 miles west of Baghdad. She was fired the next year after making several complaints about KBR's accounting practices, the suit says, and was kept under guard until she was escorted to an airplane and flown out of the country.

. . .

The Super Bowl incident occurred in January 2005, the suit said. "McBride witnessed a large amount of food that was ordered specifically for a Super Bowl party for the military" taken instead to the company's lodgings. "About 10 large metal tubs full of tacos, chicken wings, (and) cheese sticks were taken from the military party site to a KBR camp for a KBR Super Bowl Party for KBR employees," according to the complaint. A widescreen TV was also removed.

McBride worked 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, at Camp Fallujah's recreation center, where the government was billed according to the number of soldiers using the contractor's facilities, which included a weight room, video games, Internet cafe, a library and phone bank, the suit says. She alleges that KBR deliberately overstated the number of military personnel using its services by counting the same person several times. For example, a person who used a computer was counted as one. If that person went on the weight room, another count was added to the list of patrons. "It wasn't double-dipping, but triple-dipping or even quadruple-billing," the suit claims.

Attorney Alan Grayson, who represents McBride, said "millions of dollars have been submitted by Halliburton for recreational services" not provided.

http://www.easybourse.com/Website/dynamic/News.php?NewsID=53551&lang=fra&NewsRubrique=2

[saigon68]

1. Halliburton= The new amerikan mafia

Thugs, hoodlums and murderers.

Now chicken wing gorgers

LOL

[orpupilofnature57]

4. Kick!!

[rubberducky]

2. There needs to be investigations.

If I said how I really feel I would no doubt be arrested.:)

[Robbien]

5. The whistleblower is bringing suit against Halliburton

The government has declined to join in on the suit.

The "qui tam" suit, filed under the federal False Claims Act, allows citizens to sue on behalf of the government against contractors who make false claims for payment. The plaintiffs are eligible to receive a percentage of awarded damages, which are tripled in this type of suit.

Such suits are usually sealed for 60 days while the Justice Department investigates the claims and decides whether the U.S. Attorney's office will sign on as a co-plaintiff.

The Justice Department declined comment Friday on why it chose not to participate in McBride's suit.

The burden we place on poor whistleblowers. First they have to get up the courage to whistleblow. Then they face possible prosecution from the government for whistleblowing. Then when nothing happens to the evil doer, the whistleblower has to file suit to get justice done.

[orpupilofnature57]

3. Thats like accusing Al Capone ,of not paying a parking meter! No Shit!

Halliburton is the Cash Cow of this debacle.

[gratuitous]

6. If only there was some oversight

I predict Congress will pass the Cover Our Sorry Asses Notwithstanding Our Sorry Track Record Act (COSA NOSTRA) to hold Halliburton and every other profiteer harmless from its shameful corporate plundering at the expense of the people doing the killing and dying over in Iraq after the November elections and just before the new Democratic-controlled Congress comes to power in January 2007.

[jwirr]

11. This is the main point. What in the world are we doing giving no

bid contracts and no oversight? There is not a business in this world that would run that way - why are we running our government by these crazy rules?

[gratuitous]

15. I guess to show that government doesn't work

Especially when it's run by a bunch of anti-government hacks who are just building their resumes for their post-government sinecures.

[jwirr]

21. So correct. I live in a northern state where government and education

are still working because we believe that it is the correct way to handle these issues. I have always contended that the reason that government does not work in southern states is because of who they put in charge of the programs. We all know what happens when we hire the fox to guard the hen house. The states that have poor education/social programs have no one but themselves to blame. They very often are the ones who elect the *sses to run their programs with no oversight whatsoever and they expect it to work. Fools.

[saigon68]

24. That's because there's a certain "Master/Servant" process in parts of the

South.

The only thing missing is Colon Bowel with a silver tray in his hand.

[rodeodance]

7. sure glad to see this in court.

[Ezlivin]

8. We are all stupid, mindless, gutless patsies worked to death for taxes

So we can give these sorry mf'ers money to blow on parties while they simultaneously fuck over our troops.

I suppose that absolutely nothing will be done.

There is no longer any real justice in this country.

[Barrett808]

9. Whistle-blower slams Iraq contractor (KBR)

Whistle-blower slams Iraq contractor
By DEBORAH HASTINGS, AP National Writer

Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root charged millions to the government for recreational services never provided to U.S. troops in Iraq, including giant tubs of chicken wings and tacos, a widescreen TV, and cheese sticks meant for a military Super Bowl party, according to a federal whistle-blower suit unsealed Friday.

Instead, the suit alleges, KBR used the military's supplies for its own football party.

Filed last year in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., by former KBR employee Julie McBride, the lawsuit claims the giant defense contractor billed the government for thousands of meals it never served, inflated the number of soldiers using its fitness and Internet centers, and regularly siphoned off great quantities of supplies destined for American soldiers.

McBride was hired by KBR in 2004 as a "morale, welfare and recreation" coordinator at Camp Fallujah, a Marine installation about 35 miles west of Baghdad. She was fired the next year after making several complaints about KBR's accounting practices, the suit says, and was kept under guard until she was escorted to an airplane and flown out of the country.

Halliburton denied McBride's allegations.

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060908/ap_on_go_ot/contractor_fraud_claim

[babylonsister]

10. I hope/wish something would stick to these bottom-feeding

maggots.:grr:

[mitchum]

19. I look forward to the day that real maggots feed on those...

bottom-feeding maggots

[BrklynLiberal]

12. Does this surprise anyone here??? It merely sickens me.

[bobthedrummer]

13. Halliburton used to charge combat wounded troops in US military hospitals

for their meals.
Last month for field troops in Afghanistan a case of Coca Cola was around $50.
There is no money to support programs meeting the needs of vets and military families.
Mercenaries and US troops are increasingly engaging each other.
Many readers have more to add to this thread.


:cry: :mad: :puke: :argh: :grr: :banghead: :nuke:

[lpbk2713]

14. This oughtta make Deadeye Dick real proud.

He'll be glad to know his interests are being well taken care of.

[daleo]

16. Wow, just wow

What a bunch of snakes. I don't support the war, but taking food meant for soldiers for themselves is low, low, low.

[bobthedrummer]

17. kick

[mitchum]

18. Goddamn blood$ucker$

[Nikki Stone 1]

22. The "privatization" of the military. Ain't it grand?

Sons of bitches.

[tbyg52]

20. The moral of this story is....

STOP PRIVATIZING MILITARY SUPPORT SERVICES!!!!

1) It's obscene that this has become a profit center for these corporations

2) It's dangerous--they (the actual people working for the corporation) haven't taken any oath, they haven't signed up for a specified period of time--they could all quit at a moment's notice, leaving the troops high and dry.

I am sick and tired of privitazation in general--a direct transfer of my tax dollars to the pockets of people who make more than I do.

[pa28]

23. Another reason to have a comprehensive set of hearings.

There can be no accountability until we have a top to bottom review of how this war started and is being fought.

[magellan]

25. "morale, welfare and recreation" coordinator fired for whistleblowing

McBride obviously didn't understand that in Bush**'s regime, actually performing your job is a crime.

[hraka]

26. Kick!