Halliburton w/benefit from new Fed ruling to limit suits vs Iraq contracts

[cyberpj]

This is an outrage and happened right under our noses with no real press coverage. Please contact your congress people and newspapers about this! - And nominate for front page attention...

U.S. judge limits use of fraud law against Iraq contractors
By Erik Eckholm The New York Times
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2005

A federal judge has issued a ruling that will limit the applicability of a critical antifraud statute against corporate contractors in Iraq.

Judge T.S. Ellis 3rd of U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, held on Monday that the False Claims Act did not apply to the many contractors who were paid by the American occupation authority using Iraqi oil money.

The False Claims Act offers large rewards to corporate insiders who reveal misdeeds, and huge financial penalties can be imposed on errant companies. It is widely regarded as the government's most potent weapon against contractor fraud.

The district court decision, which is the first to provide guidelines in what has been a legal void, could derail some whistle-blower lawsuits that are in their early stages and still under seal, experts in the field of procurement law declared.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/07/12/news/fraud.php

[FloridaPat]

1. If a lot of the contracts in 2003 & 2004 were paid with Iraqi oil money,

what were we paying for? A billion a week and all we get are dead solders. That might make a good bumper sticker.

[cyberpj]

3. GREAT Question.

I saw a PBS Frontline show where they don't even have to give audits or breakdowns of where the money goes.

How is that possible?

Where is our taxation without representation movement?

[FloridaPat]

4. * refuses to give an accounting of where the money is going.

Congress just says "we support our troops" and passes the money bills.

[Toots]

2. The only thing that shocks me about this is Ellis wasn't picked for SC

We must at all cost protect the criminals...