Feds join Lisle whistleblower, accuse Navistar of bilking $1.3 billion in U.S. military vehicle contract

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Navistar International and its defense unit are accused of bilking almost $1.3 billion from the U.S. government in connection with a contract for military vehicles used by American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Filed in 2013, the whistleblower suit was made public Tuesday by the U.S. District Court in Washington. The federal government elected to join part of the suit in September, according to an earlier court filing that also was just made available.

The false-claims case “arises out of defendants’ pervasive and long-running scheme to charge the U.S. government wildly inflated prices for components of Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected vehicles, which were critical to the government’s military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan," according to the U.S.-filed complaint. read more »

US seeks to extradite UK tech billionaire Michael Lynch

THE GUARDIAN

Autonomy businessman would face charges including securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy

The United States has formally requested the extradition of Michael Lynch, the British tech billionaire who sold his company to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in an ill-fated $11.1bn (£8.6bn) deal, to face charges including securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy. read more »

Report Detailing PG&E’s Failures Raises New Hurdles for Utility

NEW YORK TIMES

A California commission’s findings in the state’s deadliest fire could make a path out of bankruptcy and probation much harder.

A damning report about the cause of the deadliest wildfire in California history poses a huge setback to Pacific Gas & Electric as it tries to resolve a complex bankruptcy and prove to its customers and elected officials that it takes safety seriously.

PG&E repeatedly failed to properly maintain a power line built nearly a century ago even though it cuts through a heavily wooded and mountainous area that experiences strong winds, a 700-page report by the California Public Utilities Commission concluded. A live wire broke from the line, called the Caribou-Palermo, in November 2018 and ignited the Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise. read more »

'Fly something else': Former Boeing manager refuses to fly on the 787 Dreamliner

BIG THINK

John Barnett worked as a quality manager at Boeing for three decades, but recently left the company due, in part, to his concerns over issues in the production of the 787 Dreamliner.

In a recent interview with Corporate Crime Reporter, Barnett said he would "change flights before I would fly a 787. I've told my family — please don't fly a 787."

The allegations follow up two 737 crashes that occurred earlier in 2019, calling into question the airline company's dedication to safety standards. read more »