Private Military Companies (catch all)

[Stan]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/04/wa...4contract.html

The most successful contractors are not necessarily those doing the best work, but those who have mastered the special skill of selling to Uncle Sam. The top 20 service contractors have spent nearly $300 million since 2000 on lobbying and have donated $23 million to political campaigns.

Donated 23 million !

Would've been far easier to simply fund their participation in the war and let the politicians pay for their own meals

[sgmgrumpy]

FEMA Wants Over $300M in Katrina Aid Back
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...TAM&SECTION=US

The Justice Department so far has prosecuted more than 400 people for storm-related fraud, and $18 million has been returned to FEMA or the American Red Cross, according to a recent report by the department's Katrina Fraud Task Force. The bulk of prosecutions have occurred in Louisiana (115), California (79), Texas (50) and Mississippi (46). The amount recovered so far, however, is slight compared with estimates of widespread fraud.