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IDemo

(16,926 posts) Sat Jul 20, 2013, 09:50 AM Jul 2013

KBR must face lawsuit over alleged kickbacks: court

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - The government can pursue "enhanced" penalties from Houston-based defense contractor KBR Inc over allegations that employees took kickbacks involving military contracts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruling reinstates the government's civil claim against KBR in connection with employees' alleged violations of the Anti-Kickback Act, a law that bars government contractors and subcontractors from using bribes to influence awards.

In 2010, the U.S. government joined a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that employees in KBR's transportation department accepted bribes in the form of meals, gifts and entertainment, from companies seeking to secure subcontracts with KBR to transport military goods around the globe.

The government sued under a section of the Anti-Kickback Act that allows it to recover enhanced penalties for "knowing" violations of the law. Under that law, judges can impose civil penalties equal to twice the amount of each kickback, and up to $11,000 for each occurrence of the prohibited conduct.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-kbr-kickbacks-ruling-20130719,0,2093755.story

12 replies

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Highlight:

KBR must face lawsuit over alleged kickbacks: court (Original Post) IDemo Jul 2013 OP

Dirty contractors & dirty bribes by KBR of Halliburton fame think Jul 2013 #1

1. I need KBR out of the Defense picture and 2. $11k is a drop in the bucket SaveAmerica Jul 2013 #2

317 incidences x 11K for this investigation rpannier Jul 2013 #11

"judges can impose civil penalties equal to twice the amount of each kickback" K&R wordpix Jul 2013 #12

I feel a strongly worded letter comming on.... Rebellious Republican Jul 2013 #3

It's about time!! When I worked for the government, my group reported on fraud, kickbacks kelliekat44 Jul 2013 #4

No doubt snot Jul 2013 #5

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Breaking the law is ILLEGAL? mbperrin Jul 2013 #6

Could not have happened to a more deserving organization Samantha Jul 2013 #7

KBR skunks obxnacy Jul 2013 #8

KBR = WarCrimes-R-Us 99th_Monkey Jul 2013 #9

K&R suffragette Jul 2013 #10

think

(11,641 posts)

1. Dirty contractors & dirty bribes by KBR of Halliburton fame

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 09:57 AM

Jul 2013

Dirty tricks yet KBR still get's their treats.

In Dick Cheney's world it's always Halloween....

SaveAmerica

(5,342 posts)

2. 1. I need KBR out of the Defense picture and 2. $11k is a drop in the bucket

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 10:16 AM

Jul 2013

Cheney blows his nose with thousand dollar bills.

rpannier

(24,339 posts)

11. 317 incidences x 11K for this investigation

Reply to SaveAmerica (Reply #2)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 08:07 PM

Jul 2013

There could be more incidences as investigations continues

wordpix

(18,652 posts)

12. "judges can impose civil penalties equal to twice the amount of each kickback" K&R

Reply to SaveAmerica (Reply #2)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 08:25 PM

Jul 2013

you missed that part

Rebellious Republican

(5,029 posts)

3. I feel a strongly worded letter comming on....

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 10:48 AM

Jul 2013

That will show them.

kelliekat44

(7,759 posts)

4. It's about time!! When I worked for the government, my group reported on fraud, kickbacks

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 10:58 AM

Jul 2013

and such. The IG would come in and even support our findings and write in the IG report that it would not be c"ost effective" to pursue penalties (already in the law). The we would petition higher up contracting officers to bar the guilty contractors from getting more Federal contracts. At renewal time we were told that the messes had been cleaned up and the contracts would be renewed. This all happened during the Reagan administration when Grace and Co. were pushing contracting out government services. There were even some former employees who would quit their jobs, wait three months and come back with a contract of their own for which their buddies in the contracts branch would gleefully approve and sign off on. It was pretty awful and rank employees could do little about it. Those who did, became pariahs but still faced the consequences of their whistle-blowing and either took down-grades, quit or were fired. Sometimes fraud was reported to the newspaper (WP) and nothing would happen. The political appointees all knew for whom they worked and that they would be protected from all penalties. Hopefully some of those who are guilty now will at least be penalized if not sent to prison.

snot

(10,538 posts)

5. No doubt

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 11:19 AM

Jul 2013

before any actual liability is assessed, the portion of the corporation to be held responsible will have been spun off from the portions of the corporation holding any assets . . . and guess which portions senior executives will have moved to . . . .

mbperrin

(7,672 posts)

6. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Breaking the law is ILLEGAL?

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 11:26 AM

Jul 2013

Huh.

I'll believe it when I see it. "Dick" is awfully immune, and he protects his little minions.

Samantha

(9,314 posts)

7. Could not have happened to a more deserving organization

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 12:06 PM

Jul 2013

I hope the government has found a gazillion occurrences, and the total fine is a whopper.

Sam

obxnacy

(27 posts)

8. KBR skunks

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 12:43 PM

Jul 2013

teeny tip of the iceberg - tens of millions owed

99th_Monkey

(19,326 posts)

9. KBR = WarCrimes-R-Us

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 01:18 PM

Jul 2013

I hope someone goes to jail, because we should be talking serious prison time,
not just civil penalties and fines.

KBR Guilty of Poisoning Troups in Iraq
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/09/kbr-guilty-iraq-negligence_n_2436115.html

suffragette

(12,232 posts)

10. K&R

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Sat Jul 20, 2013, 01:56 PM

Jul 2013

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