Now, John, I know that somehow you'll try to defend this, but it's
just freakin' crazy. The gist is that the DoD fined this company 1.9
million, only to hire them AGAIN with an 16 to 27 million contract!!!

DoD Cover-Up Alleged Over Military Helmet Fine

Kevlar manufacturer in North Dakota was making underweighted helmets

Only fined $1.9 million for making 2 million defective helmets for US
military in Iraq

New York Post
February 04, 2008
and posted on Military.com

Two whistleblowers claim that a $1.9 million fine leveled against
their former bosses - who allegedly underweighted the bulletproof
material in combat helmets to save money - is too measly and part of a
Pentagon cover-up.

Jeff Kenner and Tamara Elshaug, who worked at the Sioux Manufacturing
Corp. in North Dakota, had charged that their company was involved in
the "underweaving" of the bulletproof fabric in more than 2 million
"P.A.S.G.T." helmets handed out to National Guardsmen, Army Soldiers
and Navy Sailors across the country.

With the help of Long Island lawyer Andrew Campanelli, the pair sued
on behalf of the government, and each received $200,000.

The company - which has denied the allegations and said no U.S.
Soldier was ever injured or killed as a result of the alleged
underweaving - also was fined $1.9 million.

"The Department of Justice really did a good job, but I feel the
Department of Defense is trying to cover up things," Kenner said,
charging that the $1.9 million fine was less than the company had
saved on shorting the Kevlar bulletproofing material in the helmets.

"Any time there's less Kevlar, there's less protection. The American
people should know about this. It's just greedy people - it's all
about money to them [the company]," Kenner said.

Despite the problems with shorting the lifesaving material, the
Pentagon awarded a new $16 million to $72 million Kevlar helmet
contract to the same firm, before the lawsuit was settled, said an
incredulous Campanelli.

Campanelli said that, before the settlement last month, someone fired
three bullets into Elshaug's mobile home. One bullet pierced her stall
shower but no one was injured. No arrest was made.

"It has the earmarks of a cover-up," the lawyer said of the shooting.

U.S. Attorney David Peterson said, "The matter was looked into, and a
settlement was ultimately reached."

He declined to comment further

Almost as bad as Bush hiring Halliburton.