Lawmakers probe US contractor in Iraq sex trafficking case
WASHINGTON — A congressional investigative panel is demanding documents and testimony from an embattled U.S. defence contractor accused of failing to promptly disclose human trafficking on a base in Iraq.
An investigation by The Associated Press this month found that Sallyport Global fired two of its investigators after they uncovered evidence of the trafficking as well as alcohol smuggling and major security violations at Balad Air Base.
In a letter to Sallyport’s Chief Executive Officer, Victor Esposito, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ordered Sallyport to turn over an extensive list of documents and to make company representatives available to answer questions before June 9. The letter signed by the committee’s chairman, Jason Chaffetz, a Republican, and top Democrat, Elijah Cummings, cited the AP’s reporting.
“The allegations include prostitution, alcohol smuggling, timesheet fraud, concealment from Department of Defence auditors, and retaliation against employees whose duty it was to investigate these allegations,” the letter says.