Jackson Free Press

AP reports: "Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said Friday that the Bush administration ignored overcharging in defense contracts awarded to Halliburton, the company once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney, calling it evidence of the president's mismanagement of the war in Iraq.

"'Dick Cheney's old company, Halliburton, has profited from the mess in Iraq at the expense of American troops and taxpayers,' Kerry said. 'While Halliburton has been engaging in massive overcharging and wasteful practices under this no-bid contract, Dick Cheney has continued to receive compensation from his former company.'

"Coupled with a new campaign ad aimed at the vice president, the criticism showed Kerry charging at one of his harshest critics. He rarely responds directly to the sharp words Cheney uses while campaigning for the president's re-election. The television ad, which will air next week in Oregon and other battleground states, charges conflicts of interest stemming from money that Cheney still receives from Halliburton under a deferred compensation agreement.

"It also contends that Halliburton wasted taxpayer money, in contracts awarded without competitive bidding, that could have been better used at home. Several investigations have found evidence of overcharging or raised questions about the company's performance. 'Dick Cheney got $2 million. What did we get?' the ad's narrator says. 'A $200 billion bill for Iraq, lost jobs, rising health care costs. It's time for a new direction.'"

Previous Comments

ID

137153

Comment

Not a surprise that you didn't post this Fact Check, Kerry Ad Falsely Accuses Cheney on Halliburton, after dutifully going after Cheney yourself. But you make no pretense of balance so at least the audience here, small as it may be, holds no expectations that you will be so. "A Kerry ad implies Cheney has a financial interest in Halliburton and is profiting from the company's contracts in Iraq. The fact is, Cheney doesn't gain a penny from Halliburton's contracts, and almost certainly won't lose even if Halliburton goes bankrupt. The ad claims Cheney got $2 million from Halliburton "as vice president," which is false. Actually, nearly $1.6 million of that was paid before Cheney took office. More importantly, all of it was earned before he was a candidate, when he was the company's chief executive."

Author

TC Stein

Date

2004-10-03T09:16:29-06:00

ID

137154

Comment

Yes, its that time again for a Fact Check Flashback. From June 2004 we return to Anti-Bush Ad Overstates Case Against Halliburton An ad that began airing June 15 portrays a white-coated White House waiter serving contracts and wads of cash, while an announcer says the Bush administration gave Halliburton no-bid contracts "on a silver platter" and that the company was "caught" overcharging by tens of millions of dollars. But in fact, investigators from the General Accounting Office (GAO) found Halliburton's no-bid contracts to be legal and probably justified by the Pentagon's wartime needs. Furthermore, Pentagon auditors have yet to make any final determination of whether payment should be denied to Halliburton for gasoline or meals for troops. Those billing disputes are still being negotiated."

Author

TC Stein

Date

2004-10-04T02:17:13-06:00