Pentagon to Keep Cash From Halliburton

[Supormom]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=ap/halliburton_iraq

By MATT KELLEY, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Pentagon auditors have recommended withholding nearly $160 million in payments to Halliburton Corp., saying the company charged the military for meals in and around Iraq that were never served.
Vice President Dick Cheney's former company released a statement Monday night saying it hoped to persuade Army officials to reject the auditors' recommendation.

The alleged overcharging for meals last year is one of several suspected improprieties with the contract work in Iraq of Halliburton subsidiary KBR, formerly known as Kellogg, Brown & Root. Authorities are investigating allegations of overcharging for fuel delivered to Iraq, kickbacks involving two former KBR workers and other management problems.

Investigators for the Defense Contract Audit Agency, or DCAA, concluded last week that KBR charged the military for thousands of meals it never provided to troops under its contract to provide logistical services to forces in the region. The DCAA said in a statement Monday that it recommended withholding more than $159 million from future payments to KBR.

Halliburton, which has said it set aside $141 million to deal with the meal dispute, repeated its assertions that the facts are on its side. "We have no doubt that we will ultimately be reimbursed for these costs because our contractual position is so strong," company spokeswoman Wendy Hall said in the statement.

DCAA auditors cited several instances where KBR billed the government for hundreds more meals than it actually served. Halliburton says the method of accounting for meal costs is improper.

[Just Me]

1. Bah!!! I'm sorry BUT I believe it's just for "show". Grrrr!! n/t

[k in IA]

2. OK - so now that polls look like * is going to lose they cut off

Halliburton and Ahmed Chalibi (sp?). "I'll be good, I'm for 'the people' then reelect me and you'll see even more crony capitalism.

[nodictators]

3. Has anyone here ever eaten a meal prepared by Halliburton?

I haven't, and I hope I never do.

[Just Me]

5. Yes. Only the crackers were worthy of human tastebuds *smile*. n/t

[napi21]

4. What ever happened to the overcharge for fuel?

Wasn't there the same kind of charge a few months ago regarding overcharging for the price of fuel? I seem to remember Halliburton having been paid already and saying they couldn't pay $$ back or it would bankrupt the company.

[Supormom]

6. That was yesterday's news.

Yesterday it was oil. Today it is meals. What will they find tomorrow?

[napi21]

7. I recognize that, but am I to assume this just goes away?

All you have to do if you owe the Gov't money is ignore it till it goes away? WOW, we need to make sure all the people who got bills from the IRS! They'll be thrilled to hear that!

[Just Me]

8. Kinda' like Cheney's profiteering via Halliburton shares,...

,...and the corrupt funneling to a couple "subcontractors",...yup, the follow through sucks!!!

[Supormom]

11. I wasn't disagreeing with your post.

Halliburton's corruption should not be ignored, but it seems that every scandal this misadministration is involved with just gets swept under the rug.

[SEpatriot]

9. Halliburton criminals ... just the facts

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service,the criminal investigative arm of the Inspector General’s office is investigating allegations of fraud on the part of Kellogg Brown and Root(KBR),including the potential overpricing of fuel delivered to Baghdad by a KBR subcontractor. The major points of emphasis in the ever-expanding Halliburton scandal are as follows:

• December 11, 2003: Pentagon audit finds “substantial overcharging” in $1.2 billion dollars of Halliburton fuel sales in Iraq;
• January 14, 2004: Pentagon’s top auditor asks Defense Department’s
inspector general to launch a formal investigation;
• January 22, 2004: Halliburton disclosed two workers took large kickbacks as part of a $6.3 million dollar overcharging scheme involving a Kuwaiti-based company;
• February 1, 2004: Investigators find Halliburton overcharged more than $1.6 million dollars from meals at a U.S. base in Kuwait;
• February 3, 2004: Total overbilling for meals rises to $6 million dollars;
• February 16, 2004: Halliburton agrees too withhold billing on an additional $140 million dollars in food services;
• March 10, 2004: Defense Department Inspector General asks Justice
Department to join Halliburton investigation

According too Defense Department records, from fiscal year 1996 to 2000, Halliburton won $2.4 billion in contracts. During the first two years of the Bush Administration,Halliburton’s take was about
equal to its average over the last five years of the Clinton Administration. But in fiscal year 2003, Halliburton became
the seventh biggest Pentagon contractor, with $3.9 billion in Defense Department business.

[Just Me]

12. GREAT fact sheet there, "SEpatriot"!!!!

Thank you!!! Am printing for future use (hope you don't mind)!!!

:yourock:

[SEpatriot]

14. Please use it all you want!

Print it, use it, disseminate it! Get the facts out - corporate criminals are getting away with too much!

[underpants]

10. I have no doubt they will ultimately be reimbursed either

"We have no doubt that we will ultimately be reimbursed for these costs because our contractual position is so strong," company spokeswoman Wendy Hall said in the statement.

Not that we will ever hear about it.

[TahitiNut]

13. "contractual position" = License to Steal

I doubt they even resorted to fine print. The corruption in the contracting process is deep and extreme.

[SoCalDem]

15. Hey..maybe Cheney can "hold" it for them..

He'll be "back on their team" in a few months anyway..It will save paperwork..:eyes: