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The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) reports that a defense contractor at U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has pleaded guilty to bribery in a plea deal and agreed to cooperate with federal investigators and identify associates in the scheme. He could face up to 15 years in prison. The amounts in question? About $12,000 total to shortchange America’s Green Berets, Rangers, SEALs, Para-rescuers, and other front-line soldiers in the Global War on Terror. $12,000 to throw away his career, and possibly his freedom.
In an e-mail to the St. Petersburg Times, SOCOM spokesman Col. Sam Taylor said that William E. Burke “worked on what can best be described as soldier systems, which includes things like lightweight communications systems, ammunition, small arms, etc.” His job was to test and evaluate equipment and rank which private defense contractors deserved federal contracts. If a proposal was not placed on the resulting service “nomination lists” to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, it could not receive congressional funding. SOCOM is currently reviewing all contracts handled by Burke. POGO has further details and links.