Must be nice to be able to slurp at the taxpayers trough, at the
expense of our soldiers, Tim
deborah
New Fuel To Halliburton Fraud Fire
CBS
News Has Documents Showing Firm Charged Improper
Fees
(AP / CBS)
Quote 
Halliburton insists it
doesn't waste money, it saves it. But overcharging is the subject of one
federal investigation and there are separate probes for alleged bribery
and kickbacks.
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(CBS) When it comes to
logistical help for U.S. troops in Iraq, Halliburton is the biggest game in
town. Under a wartime contract that's $7 billion and growing, it's serving the
needs of 200,000 troops.
But the Houston-based conglomerate once headed
by Vice President Dick Cheney is neck-deep in allegations of waste and fraud
involving millions of taxpayer dollars, reports CBS News Correspondent Sharyl
Attkisson.
The U.S. Army is threatening to partially withhold
payments to Halliburton for the logistical support the company provides for
troops in Iraq. The reason: allegations of millions of dollars in over-charges
for food, shelter and services.
"There was no regard for spending
limits," says former employee Marie DeYoung.
Some of the most compelling
accusations come from people like DeYoung, who worked for Halliburton subsidiary
KBR.
She recently told Congress that while
troops rough it in tents, hundreds of preferred Halliburton KBR employees reside
in five-star hotels like the Kempinski in Kuwait with fruit baskets and pressed
laundry delivered daily.
"It costs $110 to house one KBR employee per
day at the Kempinski, while it costs the Army $1.39 per day to bunk a soldier in
a leased tent," DeYoung said.
"The military requested that Halliburton move into tents,
but Halliburton refused."
Documents obtained by CBS News show an auditor repeatedly flagged
improper fees for soldiers' laundry. At one site, taxpayers reportedly paid $100
for each 15-pound load of wash - $1 million a month in overcharges.
Halliburton insists it doesn't waste money, it saves it.
But overcharging is the subject of one federal investigation and there are
separate probes for alleged bribery and kickbacks.
Nobody from
Halliburton agreed to an interview, but officials have said the criticisms are
politically motivated in an election year. Halliburton also "questions the
factual nature" of many assertions from the ex-employees, but is looking into
them "because we take all allegations seriously."
With the tab for the war in Iraq now topping $150 billion, all the
investigations could help determine whether some Halliburton employees paid by
taxpayers to make life better for soldiers are, instead, putting themselves
first