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News Release — Byron Dorgan, Senator for North Dakota

DORGAN: BUNNATINE GREENHOUSE ALLEGATIONS REFERRED TO JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

Senator praises courageous “whistle-blower”

Friday, November 18, 2005

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) --- U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) said Friday he has been informed that allegations raised by Bunnatine H. Greenhouse, who testified earlier this year at a Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing on Iraq contracting abuses, have been referred to the Justice Department for criminal investigation.

Greenhouse, the Principal Assistant Responsible for Contracting for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, had her career essentially de-railed in retaliation for raising concerns about sole-source contracts and other Iraqi reconstruction contracting abuses. She testified about her concerns before the Senate Democratic Policy Committee on June 27, 2005.

Dorgan said the Defense Department Inspector General’s office has now informed him that Greenhouse’s allegations about wrong-doing in connection with Kellogg, Brown and Root, Incorporated, a division of the Halliburton Company, have been referred to the Justice Department for further criminal investigation.

Dorgan renewed his call for congressional oversight of Iraq reconstruction contracting – a responsibility he says traditional standing committees have essentially ignored. He also renewed his call for creation of a special “Truman Committee” – modeled after the Senate Committee then-Senator Harry Truman (D-Mo) chaired during World War II to look into war-profiteering by contractors.

“The hearings conducted by the Senate Democratic Policy Committee have revealed massive waste, fraud and abuse with regard to Iraq contracting, thanks to the testimony of courageous individuals like Bunnatine Greenhouse who have, often at great personal risk, blown the whistle on waste, fraud and abuse. The referral of Bunnatine Greenhouse’s allegations for criminal investigation add to the growing cloud of scandal that surrounds too much of the contracting effort regarding reconstruction in Iraq.”

“This Congress needs to get about the business of conducting oversight of the billions of dollars being spent on reconstruction in Iraq. So far, it has utterly failed to do so.”

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