The Nation - News from Aug. 8, 1988

Criminal investigators are probing allegations of bribery, fraud and conflict of interest in at least 14 Army missile contracts worth more than $500 million, Justice Department and Pentagon officials said. The FBI, military investigators and federal grand juries are focusing on the Army Missile Command’s annual $4-billion acquisition of missiles and parts at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. At least four Army missile contract officials, seven large defense contractors and 11 small defense companies nationwide are under scrutiny, officials told United Press International. The investigations are separate from the “Operation Ill Wind” inquiry in which telephone wiretaps and buggings were used to uncover alleged corruption in as many as 85 Navy and Air Force contracts worth tens of billions of dollars.