Report: DHS Erred With Limo Contract (Lied once again)

[BR_Parkway]

The Department of Homeland Security violated government regulations by awarding a multi-million-dollar contract to a limousine company with ties to the Duke Cunningham scandal, a recent investigation concluded. The finding contrasts sharply with statements made by DHS officials that "the contract solicitation and award was completely up-and-up in accordance" with federal contracting rules.

Instead, investigators from the department's Office of Inspector General found that DHS officials quietly shared with the Shirlington Limousine company details about their upcoming transportation needs months before they made the information available to other bidders, said the report, which was first reported by The Hill newspaper.

Before he was caught, tried and sentenced for bribery and corruption, disgraced former Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham wrote a letter of recommendation to DHS on behalf of Shirlington's owner, who he said "was of service" to him and other members of Congress.

According to the new report, DHS employees "promoted" Shirlington within the agency and worked to find ways to award the contract to Shirlington without any competition.

More at link:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/05/report_dhs_erre.html

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. excuse me. but. sit back and think for a bit. quietly, politely, nicely

WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING, LETTING OUR DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SCRUTINY GET INVOLVED IN LIMO CONTRACTS?


LIMOS? WHAT DOES AN EFFIN LIMO HAVE TO DO WITH SECURING OUR BORDERS, INSPECTING AND INVESTIGATING TERROR THREATS, AND PROTECTING INFRASCTRUCTURE AND THE GENERAL POPULATION?

B
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grrrrrrr.

now, that I have vented, I will go back to my tea, and laughing at c-span calls.

[Kagemusha]

2. I actually can find no evidence this contract involved limos.

I'm reading that it involved

a) shuttle buses, which the limo company didn't own at the time it got the contract
b) supplying drivers and dispatchers for running a fleet of government cars

Now, what are those government cars? I wouldn't know. That's kind of the crux of the matter. But no one's actually said that just because a crooked limo company got the transportation contract means that government people were actually transported in limos...

And believe me, I've been watching to see if anyone said so.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. could it be providing transport for the haves and have mores?

especially big donors to DC pols? that would not surprise me. Can't have daddy warbucks deal with the normal people, can we?

[Kagemusha]

4. It might, but I find the lack of confirmation re: actual limos highly unusual

If it involved actual limos, why haven't people said so by now? I can't recall anyone having said so. Ever. And it would be a notable issue of limos had been used.

Keep in mind that the limos would have to be GOVERNMENT-OWNED according to this article. Does DHS own limos? My gut says it does not, or people would've said so by now. (Like, outraged Democratic congresspeople.) It's not like the company would want to deal with prissy, touchy, expensive to maintain limos unless required, not if it could get a cushy government deal and just provide drivers (supported by a few dispatchers) for cars that might not be cheap, but are certainly not limos, that the limo company wouldn't even have to upkeep.

If DHS does own limos, someone has to hurry up and say so. This story's old now.

[Toots]

5. Don't forget shuttling the thugs to the Watergate for Poker and Whores

Actually I think the Limo Service provided the Whores for the Thugs along with their Poker...That scandal sure dropped from sight in a hurry..

[BR_Parkway]

6. I think that's what got the whole investigation started - Dusty Foggo

and the poker games