"Senators Carl Levin and John McCain and Reps. Ike Skleton and Duncan Hunter cannot be permitted to take a pass on this"
Today, as we've noted CREW hosted a teleconference with Jon Soltz, Co-Founder and Chair of VoteVets.org and two Whistleblowers, Jeff Kenner and Tamra Elshaug, who worked for Sioux Manufacturing, to discuss the need for a congressional investigation into a $74 million Department of Defense contract awarded to a North Dakota manufacturing company, Sioux Manufacturing Company, which has been outfitting our nation's troops with substandard Kevlar helmets.
Via Raw Story, Melanie Sloan asked some key questions today:
“How was Sioux Manufacturing allowed to make insufficient Kevlar in the first place and then once that was exposed how could the company be awarded a new contract? Are there soldiers who would have escaped injury or death if their helmets had met government standards rather than the inferior ones produced by Sioux?" CREW executive director Melanie Sloan asked. "Frankly, the chairs and ranking members of Armed Services, Senators Carl Levin and John McCain and Representatives Ike Skleton and Duncan Hunter cannot be permitted to take a pass on this.”
Tape recordings of employees discussing the production of the substandard Kevlar for helmets were publicly played and posted for the first time during the TELE-PRESS Conference today. Those recordings and transcripts can be found here.
Helmets
Two additional items to look for in this mess.
1) The Sioux Manufacturing company may have been receiving give backs, manufactures rebates, or discounts for the Kevlar yarn. Please check the pricing the Sioux got. Often times these "give backs" are actually "roundtrips" which then disappear into someones' pocket.
2) Expect that this is a *a contract wit hthe feds and as such it is a no bid contract. There is proably some odd stuff going on here too.
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Dorgan shows his colors early
"Byron Dorgan says the Pentagon will need to know if the allegations are accurate. HE SAYS IF THEY'RE NOT, IT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW AND WHY THE ISSUE WAS RAISED."
Implicit meaning: "I intend to work against anybody trying to get to the bottom of what SMC did, and I'm going to look to attack anyone who blew the whistle on SMC"
It didn't take long for Byron to show his true colors, and whom he bears greater concern for, U.S. troops, or SMC.