Jim McElhatton
Articles by Jim McElhatton
Franklin Frye languishes in D.C. psych ward 40 years after necklace theft charge
The words come haltingly, the sentences trailing off into barely comprehensible asides: a story about an abusive father who drank himself to death, proud talk of his songwriting abilities and childhood memories of an older brother he still adores. Published November 11, 2014
VA surgeons risk danger by using unauthorized, potentially counterfeit medical supplies
Unauthorized and potentially counterfeit, dangerous surgical devices and medical supplies have flowed unchecked into the Department of Veterans Affairs supply chain and into VA operating rooms, according to internal agency correspondence from a major supplier who blamed new procurement rules. Published November 6, 2014
Federal drug cases falter amid FBI misconduct probe
A federal judge on Thursday tossed all charges against nearly a dozen defendants in a major D.C. heroin trafficking case amid a criminal misconduct probe into an unnamed FBI agent who worked on the case. Published November 6, 2014
Army Apache helicopter design flaw could cause ‘catastrophic failure’
A military investigation into an Apache attack-helicopter mishap has found potential hydraulic fluid contamination that could cause "a catastrophic failure and loss of life," government contracting records show. Published November 4, 2014
IRS employee not guilty of inadvertent disclosures
The IRS employee who mistakenly disclosed personal information on more than 20,000 employees and contractors was found not guilty of criminal charges last week in a case that showed how easily confidential government information can turn up on the Internet. Published November 2, 2014
Defense firm facing charges in procurement scam
A Virginia-based company with defense and intelligence agency contracts is facing criminal charges that it pa id a corrupt Army procurement official who was recently sent to prison for taking kickbacks. Published October 30, 2014
Jim Moran pressured VA on behalf of reverse-auction contractor FedBid
Rep. James P. Moran pressured the Department of Veterans Affairs to overrule one of its own senior procurement executives in 2012 and reinstate a policy that benefited a well-connected contractor, according to government records that show a VA official thought the congressman was stepping out of bounds. Published October 29, 2014
Army contractor in bid-rigging scheme sentenced to 4 years in prison
A key official in what prosecutors have called the biggest bid-rigging scheme in U.S. contracting history received a four-year prison sentence Friday, as newly filed sentencing papers provided fresh details about why the scam went undetected for years. Published October 26, 2014
IRS lawyer facing license loss delisted
The Internal Revenue Service has replaced a top lawyer in its Office of Professional Responsibility who faces losing her law license over her work on a years-old personal-injury case. Published October 22, 2014
Ebola researchers frustrated by lack of support until outbreak hits
Judith White, who runs a research lab at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, submitted a proposal to the National Institutes of Health to test potential countermeasures against Ebola in March — just as Liberia was confirming its first two cases of the deadly virus. Published October 21, 2014
GAO questions fitness of USIS
The fate of a border security contract worth up to $210 million was thrown into question Monday after the Government Accountability Office told an agency to reconsider whether a contractor facing fraud accusations is qualified for the job. Published October 20, 2014
Obama administration ignored the CDC’s Ebola outbreak prevention advice given in 2008
The Centers for Disease Control told the incoming Obama administration in 2008 that it should establish 18 regional disease detection centers around the world to adequately safeguard the U.S. from emerging health threats like Ebola, according to an agency memo. Published October 15, 2014
CDC looks to beef up airport screening in Ebola fight
The Centers for Disease Control posted a notice Tuesday seeking airport screeners to work in major U.S. airports and perhaps even overseas as the agency tries to stop the spread of Ebola. Published October 14, 2014
Supreme Court upholds 18-year sentence for $600 drug deal
The U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition Tuesday from three D.C. drug defendants serving lengthy prison sentences for dealing minor amounts of cocaine, but three justices disagreed — arguing the court missed a key opportunity to rule on an important Sixth Amendment issue. Published October 14, 2014
Ebola sparks political battle over research funding
The Ebola finger-pointing kicked into a higher gear Monday as politicians in Washington blamed each other for cutting research funding, even as the federal government's top disease chief apologized for suggesting workers at a Dallas hospital failed to follow protocols, leading to this weekend's first U.S.-contracted case of the deadly virus. Published October 13, 2014
Leniency sought for suspect in federal bid-rigging scandal
Federal prosecutors are recommending leniency for a former federal contractor who played an early but critical role in what became the biggest bid-rigging scandal in federal contracting history. Published October 12, 2014
Exclusive: Feds take jobs from disabled Americans, send them to Central Asia
Sibyl Mikell has worked in the same New Orleans warehouse by the Mississippi River docks since 1980, one of dozens of blind workers who make the mess trays sent to U.S. military forces overseas — including her own son, who finished his second tour of duty in Afghanistan earlier this year. Published October 9, 2014
VA’s loyalty to reverse auction firm FedBid raises red flags
As far back as 2012, a Department of Veterans Affairs advisory board was warning about excessive sway that reverse auction firm FedBid, a well-connected contractor employing former top White House officials, had on VA contracting officers. Published October 8, 2014
VA moves to fire executive amid contract scandal
The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday proposed firing a high-ranking contracting official involved in a procurement scandal a week after an investigation found she abused her position to try to aid a prominent federal contacting firm. Published October 7, 2014
Darrell Issa pushes EPA chief to resolve investigator dispute
Congress's top investigator has told EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to resolve a long-running dispute that Rep. Darrell Issa says is undermining the agency inspector general's ability to investigate misconduct. Published October 6, 2014