DEA chief faces probe into 'swampy' hires, no-bid contracts
Source: AP
By JOSHUA GOODMAN and JIM MUSTIAN an hour ago
WASHINGTON (AP) A federal watchdog is investigating whether the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration under chief Anne Milgram improperly awarded millions of dollars in no-bid contracts to hire her past associates, people familiar with the probe told The Associated Press.
Among the contract spending under scrutiny by the Justice Departments Office of Inspector General is $4.7 million for strategic planning and communication to hire people Milgram knew from her days as New Jerseys attorney general and as a New York University law professor at costs far exceeding pay for government officials.
At least a dozen people have been hired under such contracts, including some in Milgrams inner circle handling intelligence, data analytics, community outreach and public relations work often requiring security clearances and traditionally done by DEAs own 9,000-person workforce.
Also under scrutiny is $1.4 million to a Washington law firm for a recent review of the DEAs scandal-plagued foreign operations that was widely criticized for giving short shrift to agent misconduct and how to prevent it. That review was co-authored by Boyd Johnson, former right-hand man to one of Milgrams closest friends, Preet Bharara, when he was U.S. Attorney in Manhattan. Bharara himself landed at the firm, WilmerHale, even as the review was being conducted.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/dea-corruption-fentanyl-cocaine-drugs-contracts-milgram-7fd24fe46c4b664f285773798357d418