Halliburton Audit Data Suppressed by Bush Administration

Data showing that Halliburton had overcharged more than $200 million for its work on Iraqi oil contracts were withheld by the Bush Administration from international auditors responsible for overseeing the contracts, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) reported this week.
"Both the amount of Halliburton's overcharges and the extent of the information withheld from the auditors at the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB) are much greater than previously known," the Waxman analysis stated. In an April 11 letter to Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), Rep. Waxman cited several classification and information policy experts who agreed that "contractor overcharges are not proprietary information that can be withheld" from disclosure. See "DOD Audits: Halliburton Overcharges Top $212 Million," House Government Reform Committee Minority Office, April 11: http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/story.asp?ID=823