Conract scandal

I was reading Rivrdog, and came upon this article out of the St. Petersburg Times. It seems there is a scandal over a government contractor taking kickbacks, and the scandal is widening. Pleas are being taken and folks are scrambling for lawyers.

As a soldier in the field, I was always warmed to know that my weapon was purchased from the lowest bidder. As a staff weenie back in garrison I was told that the quickest way to jail was to take a kickback on a government contract. They held us to a very tight standard, and this quote tells the tale:

Doherty, the Palm Harbor lawyer, said one question people at SOCom are asking is what constitutes a bribe.

"What if I took five people out to Ruth's Chris Steak House, and I paid," Doherty said. "The charge may depend on whether you had wine or not. It might come down to that, and people are concerned."

When you are handling government contracts, you must avoid even the faintest blush of impropriety.

I know that Secretary Rumsfeld is going to be thrilled.