(MZM)Wade's Cultivation of Cunningham 1 Part of His Tactical Assault

[maddezmom]

A Contractor's Purchase on Power
Mitchell Wade's Cultivation of 'Duke' Cunningham Was Just One Part of His Tactical Assault for MZM

By Charles R. Babcock and Renae Merle
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, March 20, 2006; Page D01

The consulting work that MZM Inc. received from a Pentagon agency in 2003 was for only $40,000, but to company owner Mitchell J. Wade, the face value was just the beginning.

Over the following year, the work grew to $4 million as MZM added employees that the government had not asked for; pressed successfully for the agreement to be on a "time and materials" basis so it could bill for hours worked; and left the impression that Wade could pull strings, if necessary, to get his way.

According to excerpts of e-mails collected by a Pentagon employee and provided to The Washington Post, one contract official inaccurately thought Wade was a former undersecretary of defense. Another wrote that "Mitch Wade is a force to be reckonned (sic) with . . . he has a lot of perceived power that can slow us down . . . maybe even grind us to a halt."

~snip~

According to several sources inside and outside the company, including some former employees, Wade attracted staff by offering tens of thousands of dollars more than the going salary. The sources agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. As his company grew, he hired people like retired Army Lt. Gen. James King, who held several high positions at Pentagon intelligence agencies and now runs Athena Innovative Solutions Inc., MZM's successor company. Wade also hired David Holmes, a former CIA lawyer; John Quattrocki, a high-ranking FBI officer; and Kay Coles James, the former head of the Bush administration's Office of Personnel Management.

The blanket purchase agreement, signed with a Defense Department contracting office in September of 2002, was written so broadly that any agency inside or outside the Pentagon could order a wide variety of help. It seemed crafted for the Bush administration's post-Sept. 11 push for more defense and intelligence spending. It referred to homeland security, law enforcement planning, geospatial integration, document exploitation and what is called MASINT, for measurement and signature intelligence.

more:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/19/AR2006031900751_2.html?nav=rss_nation

2pager but worth the read. Wonder if we'll be seeing any more of these names in the coming weeks, months, years.

[Trevelyan]

1. Thank you for Duke Cunningham information. I hadn't heard anything

about this in a long time.

[KharmaTrain]

2. Lots More On Wade At TPM

Josh and Paul at TPMuckraker have really been connecting the dots on the the Wade/MZB fiasco and how it's now expanding into the NSA mess as well. Looks like Doolittle is finally in the crosshairs...along with his slimy wife.

More stuff at http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000132.php

[maddezmom]

3. good info there...here's a link to LBN on Doolittle

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2176644

[KharmaTrain]

4. Do Little sure sums out what this Lady did For The Money

While I'm tempted to say she surely has a weight problem (couldn't wait to eat) :spank:...I'll be nice and not pick on how coyote ugly that woman is...and I'm strictly refering to her slimy antics and her equally sleazy husband. Here's hoping the Cunningham investigators have their next indictment prepared with their names on it. What a plesaure it'd be to clean out that entire rats nest of contractor sucking North County and San Diego Repugnicans.