FederalDaily - March 13, 2006
Soldiers Plead Guilty to Bribery and Extortion
Three current Army servicemembers and a former Air Force servicemember pleaded guilty to involvement in a bribery and extortion conspiracy that took place between January 2002 and March 2004 in Arizona, the Department of Justice said Thursday. Each defendant admitted to using official uniforms, identification and vehicles to transport drug shipments. In addition, the servicemembers acknowledged accepting $66,000 in bribes. The FBI has detained 47 other defendants involved in the scheme as part of Operation Lively Green. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum punishment of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. All four have agreed to cooperate in the ongoing investigation.
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DLA Employee Indicted for Selling Gov’t Computers
Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan announced the indictment of Defense Logistics Agency employee Derrick Mack, who is accused of selling three government-owned laptop computers. Between July and November 2005, Mack—an information technology specialist at the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia—supposedly confiscated three DLA laptop computers without permission for his personal use and sold them for private gain. The computers are valued at approximately $1,600 each. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Department of Defense led the investigation. If convicted, Mack faces up to 30 years in prison and $750,000 in fines.
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DOJ Domestic Wiretapping E-mail Released
The Department of Justice (DOJ) justification for warrantless wiretapping were “weak” and had a “slightly after-the-fact” quality to them, according to recently available e-mails by a former DOJ national security official. The correspondence came from David Kris, the former associate deputy attorney general in charge of national security oversight. The information was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, American Civil Liberties Union and the National Security Archive. On Jan. 19, 2006, Kris described the department’s justification as “professional and thorough and well written.” However, Kris added, “I kind of doubt it's going to bring me around on the statutory arguments.” To view the documentation, visit www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20060309/index.htm.
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Democrats Oppose Veterans Health Care Cost Increase
President Bush’s plan to increase health care premiums and prescription drug costs for veterans is “unacceptable” and “harmful to America’s veterans,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., announced March 9. Stabenow and 18 other Senate Democrats wrote a letter to Senate Budget Committee leadership voicing their opposition to the proposal—contained in the president’s 2007 budget. The president’s plan would increase the co-pay for 30-day prescription supplies from $8 to $15, and impose a $250 annual enrollment fee for middle-income veterans. “When we have thousands of brave men and women returning home we should not be asking them to pay for medical care they were promised,” the letter said.
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