Former Top U.S. Contracting Official among Witnesses

Washington D.C. September 17, 2007. The Senate Democratic Policy Committee heard testimony September 21, 2007 regarding abuses by government contractors during the Iraq War. The hearing, entitled “The Mistreatment of Iraq Contracting Whistleblowers,” focused on the experiences of the employee-whistleblowers who report contractor misconduct, and included significant information about Iraqi contracting abuses.

Among those testifying were Bunnatine Greenhouse, who served as the top civilian contracting officer for the Army Corps of Engineers until she was demoted in retaliation for her opposition to “casual and clubby” contracting practices in the run-up to the War. Ms. Greenhouse has described a controversial five year, no-bid, multi-billion dollar contract awarded to Halliburton/KBR in 2003 as “the most blatant and improper contracting abuse I have witnessed during the course of my professional career.”

Also testifying was Stephen M. Kohn, President of the National Whistleblowers Center and co-counsel for Ms. Greenhouse.

• Hearing Notice
• Whistleblower Accepts Fallout, June 13, 2007
• by Susan White, The San Diego Union-Tribune
• Testimony of Bunnatine Greenhouse
• Testimony of Stephen M. Kohn
• Model Whistleblower Legislation
• Click here to access a video of this hearing (the video plays directly from the website in realplayer you can find it on this page http://www.whistleblowers.org/html/press_2007.html on the current website under Senate Democrats to Hold Friday Hearing on Iraq Contracting Abuses)