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Congress inquiry links Cheney aide to Halliburton deal

David Teather in New York
Tuesday June 15, 2004
The Guardian

Fresh concern has been raised that the American vice-president, Dick Cheney, may have played a role in the decision to award his former company Halliburton a $7bn contract for work in postwar Iraq.

According to a congressional investigation, Mr Cheney's top aide, Lewis Libby, was involved in high-level talks in October 2002 which led to the firm securing the contract.

Although there is no evidence that Mr Cheney wielded any influence, the inquiry's findings appear to undermine claims that he had no prior knowledge of the contract.

Halliburton was handed the work for emergency repairs on Iraq's oilfields without a competitive tender.

The company has become a political liability for Mr Cheney, who pocketed $36m when he quit the firm to join George Bush's election campaign in 2000. The administration was accused of cronyism after the contract was announced and the firm has since been dogged by claims of overcharging and bribery.

In the midst of the din over the oilfields contract in September last year, Mr Cheney told NBC television that he had "absolutely no influence of, involvement of, knowledge of, in any way shape or form of contracts led by the Corps of Engineers or anybody else in the federal government".

In a letter to Mr Cheney, the California democrat Henry Waxman, who has led the congressional investigation, said the circumstances "appear to contradict your assertions".

He said that the process for awarding the contract also countered the administration's repeated assertions that no political appointees were involved in the decision.

Mr Waxman said the process had been managed by a team of political appointees led by Michael Mobbs, a special adviser to Douglas Feith, the Pentagon's under-secretary for defence policy.

He detailed a meeting in October of a foreign policy body in Washington, attended by Mr Libby, where Mr Mobbs had put forward plans to hand the contract to Halliburton.

Mr Waxman asked Mr Cheney to hand over any records of meetings or discussions his office might have had in which the contract was discussed. He also asked for clarification on an email that recently surfaced from Stephen Browning, of the Corps of Engineers, to Mr Feith on March 5 2003, which said the contract "has been coordinated with VP's [vice-president's] office".

In another blow to its reputation, Halliburton confirmed at the weekend that the US securities and exchange commission is investigating claims that a consortium it was part of bribed Nigerian officials to win a contract to build a natural gas plant.

"Scooter" is apparently one of the prime suspects in the Plame leak investigation, too. Any bets as to how long he sticks around, and whether the GOP will use this oppotunity to jettison Cheney from the ticket? You know they want to.

Imagine formalizing a Bush/Giuliani ticket at the NYC convention...

Ryan

Cheney curses senator over Halliburton criticism

Thursday, June 24, 2004 Posted: 10:54 PM EDT (0254 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Typically a break from partisan warfare, this year's Senate class photo turned smiles into snarls as Vice President Dick Cheney reportedly used profanity toward one senior Democrat, sources said.

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who was on the receiving end of Cheney's ire, confirmed that the vice president used profanity during Tuesday's class photo.

A spokesman for Cheney confirmed there was a "frank exchange of views."

Using profanity on the Senate floor while the Senate is session is against the rules. But the Senate was technically not in session at the time and the normal rules did not apply, a Senate official said.

The story, which was recounted by several sources, goes like this:

Cheney, who as president of the Senate was present for the picture day, turned to Leahy and scolded the senator over his recent criticism of the vice president for Halliburton's alleged war profiteering.

Cheney is the former CEO of Halliburton, and Democrats have suggested that while serving in the Bush administration he helped win lucrative contracts for his former firm, including a no-bid contract to rebuild Iraq.

Cheney's office has said repeatedly that the vice president has no role in government contracting and has severed all financial ties with the Texas-based oil services conglomerate.

Cheney was chief executive officer of Halliburton from 1995 to 2000. He resigned when he became George Bush's running mate.

In response to Cheney, Leahy reminded Cheney that the vice president had once accused him of being a bad Catholic, to which Cheney replied either "f--- off" or "go f--- yourself."

Leahy was referring to charges leveled by some conservatives during the confirmation battle of Bush judicial nominee William Pryor last August. Some supporters of Pryor, who is Catholic, claimed Senate Democrats were "anti-Catholic" for opposing the Alabama attorney general's nomination to the federal bench.

Leahy would not comment on the specifics of the story Thursday, but did confirm that Cheney used profanity.

"I think he was just having a bad day," said Leahy, "and I was kind of shocked to hear that kind of language on the floor."

Kevin Kellems, a spokesman for the vice president, said, "That doesn't sound like the kind of language that the vice president would use, but I can confirm that there was a frank exchange of views."

CNN's Steve Turnham contributed to this report.

What a major league asshole. Big time.

Ryan