The finance chairman of the Florida Republican Party, who is also a bid donor to McCain, is accused of vastly overcharging the US military for deliveries of fuel to Iraq over the last four years, the NYT reports.
The charge, against Harry Sargeant III, was made public by Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman in information he sent to the Pentagon. Sounds like brother Sargeant had some well-placed friends somewhere:
In one case, the letter from Mr. Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, asserts that Mr. Sargeant's company submitted the highest of six bids, but received the contract anyway. In fact, Pentagon contracting officers complained that the company's prices were unreasonably high and initially said they could not justify giving the work to Mr. Sargeant.
But for reasons the company was never able to explain, Mr. Waxman's letter indicates, no other American company was given an authorization to transport the fuel through Jordan. And when the United States Central Command declared that the need for the fuel was urgent, the Pentagon was forced to award the contract to Mr. Sargeant's company
.
Forced by whom?
Anyway, the man who stands accused of war profiteering has raised more than $500,000 for McCain. Should make the evening newscasts across Florida.
