The Nation : Defense Firms’ Abuse Cited

Defense contractors bill the taxpayers for such things as haircuts and belt buckles knowing they won’t be penalized if caught by Pentagon auditors, two House Armed Services subcommittee chairmen said. “They do this because there’s no penalty for submitting even the most outrageous bill to the government,” Rep. Bill Nichols (D-Ala.) of the investigations subcommittee said in a statement. Nichols, along with Rep. Charles E. Bennett (D-Fla.), of the sea power subcommittee, is investigating contractor billing practices. Nichols said, “The (Pentagon) auditors are flooded with work and are years behind in trying to review the records.”