National Security & Defense

nitpicker

(7,153 posts) Mon Mar 18, 2019, 04:55 AM Mar 2019

Officials Now Looking for Evidence of Fraud in Military Housing Scandal

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/03/15/officials-now-looking-evidence-fraud-military-housing-scandal.html

Officials Now Looking for Evidence of Fraud in Military Housing Scandal

15 Mar 2019

Military.com | By Patricia Kime

Military families went years with no one in leadership paying attention to their complaints of unhealthy and dangerous living conditions in on-base housing.

The top brass is listening now.

In the past several weeks, the secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force have visited military bases, viewing substandard homes and speaking with families. Lawmakers have traveled to installations in their districts for a first-hand look at living conditions. Staff members of influential congressional committees have flown far and wide to understand the scope of the issue.

And in these visits, they may be building cases against the eight major companies that hold the contracts to manage base housing.

According to Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, lawmakers and Pentagon leaders have seen evidence shared by families -- photos, videos and more -- of conditions that are not only "disgraceful," but may also show criminal fraud.
(snip)

Added Army Secretary Mark Esper, "In a couple of cases, where it looks like, sounds like, smells like fraud, I want to investigate these and, if there is real evidence here, we want to pursue it."

During the past two years, multiple reports -- including years-long investigations by Reuters -- have surfaced regarding squalid conditions at military houses run by private management companies, including faulty wiring and exposed plumbing, poor water quality, vermin infestations, mold and lead contamination.

One military spouse, Warner said, nearly died from carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty HVAC unit, and the housing management company tried to force the family back into the home.
(snip)

5 replies

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Officials Now Looking for Evidence of Fraud in Military Housing Scandal (Original Post) nitpicker Mar 2019 OP

Good. This has gone on far too long oldsoftie Mar 2019 #1

Journalists: worth their pay. (nt) ehrnst Mar 2019 #2

What do they do with all that money we give them. gtar100 Mar 2019 #3

Esper's weasely statement hardly inspires confidence that much will change! 50 Shades Of Blue Mar 2019 #4

The military was fine when it was run by the military jimmil Mar 2019 #5

oldsoftie

(13,530 posts)

1. Good. This has gone on far too long

Reply to nitpicker (Original post)

Mon Mar 18, 2019, 06:07 AM

Mar 2019

ehrnst

(32,640 posts)

2. Journalists: worth their pay. (nt)

Reply to nitpicker (Original post)

Mon Mar 18, 2019, 06:44 AM

Mar 2019

gtar100

(4,192 posts)

3. What do they do with all that money we give them.

Reply to nitpicker (Original post)

Mon Mar 18, 2019, 07:20 AM

Mar 2019

One would think the military would be grateful for having such a generous, ever expanding budget to work with. They could show it by being responsible with how they use that money. Housing should be one of those foundational expenses they should do right. Maybe privatizing services that the government could handle itself isn't such a good idea after all. Seems like private companies treat government contracts like opportunities to over-charge and under-serve just so a handful of owners can get rich quick. It's the tell-tale signs of a system set up by republicans. Tell me again, what's so conservative about conservatives?

50 Shades Of Blue

(10,887 posts)

4. Esper's weasely statement hardly inspires confidence that much will change!

Reply to nitpicker (Original post)

Mon Mar 18, 2019, 07:36 AM

Mar 2019

jimmil

(632 posts)

5. The military was fine when it was run by the military

Reply to nitpicker (Original post)

Mon Mar 18, 2019, 07:38 AM

Mar 2019

Last edited Mon Mar 18, 2019, 02:37 PM - Edit history (1)

I was in the army in the way back machine. On post housing was never like Gump Towers but it was clean, everything worked, people enjoyed the neighborhoods. About the only thing that was outsourced to civilians was KP, road building and construction, and other heavy lifting jobs like that. However, the Republicans saw a gold mine in the billions coming into the military and started to turn over to the military jobs the military does, and let civilians take the jobs civilians can do better. This is otherwise known as pay big bucks for cheap shit, wrap it in some fine bows, and sell it to the voters as something great.

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