Operation Ill Wind

Operation Ill Wind was a three-year investigation launched in 1986 by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation into corruption by U.S. government and military officials and defense contractors.

About 12 government officials were convicted of various crimes, including an Assistant Secretary of the Navy, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and a Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force. About 60 private citizens were also convicted, including half a dozen major defense contractors, some smaller defense contractors, employees, and consultants.^[1]

Most worked for Unisys, pleaded guilty to eight felonies, including the use of fraud, bribery and illegal campaign contributions to obtain billions of dollars in defense contracts.^[2]

The scandal led the United States Congress to pass the 1988 Procurement Integrity Act,^[3] which regulates the pay that procurement officials can get from contractors during the first year after they leave government, and forbids them to provide bid and proposal information to their new employers.^[4]

References

1. ^ Combatting Procurement fraud, U.S. Department of Justice, February 18, 2005, archived from the original on 2006-09-25, http://web.archive.org/web/20060925215512/http://washingtondc.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel05/fraud021805.htm/fraud021805.htm, retrieved 2008-11-12  (archived from the original on 2006-09-25).
2. ^ Windfalls of War: Unisys Corporation, The Center for Public Integrity, 2007, archived from the original on 2007-12-15, http://web.archive.org/web/20071215105158/http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/bio.aspx?act=pro&ddlC=59, retrieved 2008-11-12  (archived from the original on 2007-12-15)).
3. ^ 48 CFR 3.104-1 - 11, U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access, http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/ethics/docs/48cfr3104111.htm, retrieved 2008-11-12 
4. ^ George Cahlink (July 15, 2004), Closing Doors, govexec.com, http://www.govexec.com/features/0704-15/0704-15s2.htm, retrieved 2008-11-12