Tales from the Oversight-Free Zone #3
Posted in Press Releases on July 18th, 2008
Pentagon Failed To Address Electrical Dangers Created By Contractor, Failed To Acknowledge Extent Of Problem
Saint Paul [07/18/08] – As Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Norm Coleman failed to hold a single hearing on the waste, fraud, and abuse that sabotaged the reconstruction of Iraq. Today, the New York Times reports on another Tale from the Oversight-Free Zone.
The Times reports:
Shoddy electrical work by private contractors on United States military bases in Iraq is widespread and dangerous, causing more deaths and injuries from fires and shocks than the Pentagon has acknowledged, according to internal Army documents.
Kellogg, Brown, and Root, a subsidiary of Coleman campaign contributor Halliburton, was responsible for the faulty electrical work. However, even though the Pentagon was aware that there was a “systemic problem,” and “electrical problems were widely recognized as a major safety threat,” no action was taken until this year.
The Times adds:
The reports of shoddy electrical work have raised new questions about the Bush administration’s heavy reliance on contractors in Iraq, particularly because they come after other high-profile disputes involving KBR. They include accusations of overbilling, providing unsafe water to soldiers and failing to protect female employees who were sexually assaulted.
This, like so many other Tales from the Oversight-Free Zone, took place while Chairman Coleman, who took thousands of dollars from Halliburton during his 2002 campaign, sat idly by.
Al Franken:
“This is another tragic story – and another example of Norm Coleman failing to do his job. He didn’t hold his campaign contributor accountable for endangering the lives of American troops – and now it’s up to us to hold him accountable for that.”
NYT article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/world/middleeast/18contractors.html
Coleman Took $4,000 From Halliburton’s PAC. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, in 2001 and 2002, Coleman’s US Senate campaign accepted 4 $1,000 contributions from Halliburton’s political action committee. [Center for Responsive Politics, Accessed 6/18/08]
