Xerox Successfully Lobbies for Veterans Department to Fire Veterans
http://www.republicreport.org/2012/xerox-lobbying/
Xerox Successfully Lobbies for Veterans Department to Fire Veterans
Matt Stoller 2.13.2012 at 11:41 AM
One of the basic pay to play schemes we see in most states and in the Federal government involves the privatization of government services to third party contractors who then kick back money through campaigns or lobbyists for increased privatization. Its a transfer of state power from the public, which elects the government, to private actors, who increasingly control the data, the hiring standards, and the purchasing decision of the Federal bureaucracy.
Sometimes the kickback scheme is direct, and thats illegal. But more often than not, its indirect. A firm, through subsidiaries or parent companies, hires a bunch of lobbying firms staffed by ex-officials. Then those ex-officials go to work to get the government to award contracts to the firm doing the hiring. The money flows in a nice circle of corruption.
This is just the latest example of indirect and legal bribery.
~snip~
In this case, its profitable to these people to have the Veterans Department fire its veterans so it can award the contract to a subsidiary of Xerox. So thats whats happening.