DARPA Gave Big Contract to Chief’s Family FirmMarch 11, 2011
DARPA, the Pentagon's innovative research division, awarded a major contract to a company co-founded by the agency's chief and currently run by her father and uncle, according to a Danger Room post on Wired.com. Last year, DARPA announced a $400,000 contract to RedXDefense, which specializes in systems to detect explosives. RedXDefense was co-founded in 2005 by Regina Dugan, the director of the agency since 2009. Her father, Vince, is now the CEO while her uncle John is on the company's strategic advisory board. Those close family ties have raised at least an appearance of a potential conflict of interest, according to the post. DARPA maintains, however, that the company received no special consideration. "At no time did Dr. Dugan participate in any dealings between the agency and RedXDefense related to the contract," Eric Mazzacone, a DARPA spokesperson told the Danger Room columnist at the website. The agency did not comment on whether the contract was awarded competitively. When asked if Dugan retains a stake in the company, the spokesman invited Danger Room to file a Freedom of Information Act request for Dugan's financial disclosure report. Mazzacone did say that Dugan "recused herself" from any of the negotiations between the company and the agency, which prevented her from "personally and substantially participating in RedXDefense matters." Still government ethics watchdogs raised concerns at the RedXDefense deal. “Dugan is a perfect example of why the revolving door needs greater scrutiny,” Nick Schwellenbach of the Project on Government Oversight http://www.pogo.org/ told Danger Room. “While we don’t know if Dugan did anything wrong, the facts we do know don’t inspire confidence.” Dugan remains listed as president and CEO on a website for Dugan Ventures, an investment firm she co-founded with her father and uncle, according to the post. |
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