Contractor gets 46 months for Iraq bribery

[struggle4progress]

From the Associated Press
February 17, 2007

WASHINGTON — A U.S. businessman whose companies made more than $8 million in Iraq reconstruction money through a gifts-for-contracts scheme was sentenced Friday to 46 months in prison.

Philip H. Bloom, who has lived in Romania for many years, pleaded guilty last year to bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He admitted that he bribed military personnel with jewelry, computers, cigars and sexual favors from women at his Baghdad villa.

His attorney said that Bloom was given a reduced sentence because he cooperated in a federal investigation.

Bloom, who controlled companies in Iraq and Romania, made bids on projects through dummy corporations. Contractors and military officials made sure that Bloom received the contracts and, in exchange, they received gifts ...

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-bribes17feb17,1,2768918.story?coll=la-news-a_section

Poor guy: I'm sure he had reasonable expectations of running for Congress on the Publican ticket until they decided they had to throw somebody to the wolves

[cui bono]

1. Hopefully this is just one of many convictions. nt

[Divernan]

2. Hope "cooperated in federal investigation" translates to dozens more prosecutions.

$8 million in Iraq reconstruction money which could have gone to effective body armour.

[KoKo]

3. Kick....isn't this more important than Bald Britanny? Will we see it

on CNN/MSNBC? Photo's of Bloom...reporters stalking him calling it an international scandal? Bribing
Military personnel with jewelry and sexual favors? Isn't this something that Faux News would love?