Feb. 12, 2004, 10:06PM
Halliburton faces new set of allegations
Two ex-workers claim contract overcharges
By DAVID IVANOVICH
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
WASHINGTON -- Two former Halliburton Co. employees have accused the Houston company of routinely overcharging American taxpayers for work performed under a military contract.
Halliburton, which as a government contractor is supposed to keep a lid on costs, tried to order embroidered towels when ordinary ones would have cost a third as much and leased cars, trucks, SUVs and vans for up to $7,500 a month, the would-be whistle-blowers said.
The motto at Halliburton was "Don't worry about price. It's cost-plus," an unnamed former procurement supervisor told Democratic lawmakers.
A cost-plus contract is an agreement in which a subcontractor is reimbursed for the cost of providing a service and given an extra percentage as profit.
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http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/2400737