Report says Air Force, Boeing worked together on tanker deal

Published 9:00 pm Monday, June 6, 2005

This moved too late last night for us to get in today’s Business section, but it’s an interesting read. The Washington Post got a copy of the Air Force Inspector General’s report on an investigation into the botched deal, which says that Pentagon officials fudged the facts to help Boeing win a big contract.

Key quote: “‘We all know that this is a bailout for Boeing,’ Ronald G. Garant, an official of the Pentagon comptroller’s office, said in (an e-mail) message … ‘Why don’t we just bite the bullet,’ he asked, and handle the acquisition like the procurement of a 1970s-era aircraft — by squeezing the manufacturer to provide a better tanker at a decent cost?

“‘We didn’t need those aircraft either, but we didn’t screw the taxpayer in the process,’ Garant added, referring to widespread sentiment at the Pentagon that the proposed lease of Boeing 767s would cost too much for a plane with serious shortcomings.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/06/AR2005060601715.html