Washington, DC – Following recent reports that millions in U.S. taxpayer dollars have been illegally funneled to Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is asking the Department of Justice to take action. The funds, which were intended to pay for trucking contractors to transport American supplies, were found to have instead paid for weapons and explosives used by U.S. enemies.
“Tens of thousands of brave American men and women, including many Rhode Islanders, are risking their lives in Afghanistan and they deserve better. Furthermore, and especially in a time of fiscal restraint, it is unacceptable for taxpayer dollars to be wasted in this manner,” Whitehouse wrote in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. “I urge the Department to use the full weight of its prosecutorial and investigative resources going forward to disrupt and dismantle any criminal activity among Afghan contractors, and to recover any ill-gotten proceeds of crime.”
Whitehouse chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. The full text of his letter is below.
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July 27, 2011
The Honorable Eric Holder
Attorney General
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Dear Attorney General Holder:
According to recent reports, millions of dollars from American taxpayers have been diverted to the insurgents we are fighting in Afghanistan. In particular, according to The Washington Post, an investigation led by the U.S. military has found that several transportation contractors have engaged in money laundering, kickbacks, and other forms of profiteering, with some money ultimately funneled to Taliban insurgents. U.S. funds have even paid for weapons and explosives used by our enemies.
I am sure that you agree that it is deeply troubling that U.S. funds are putting our troops at greater risk by arming and supplying our enemy. Tens of thousands of brave American men and women, including many Rhode Islanders, are risking their lives in Afghanistan and they deserve better. Furthermore, and especially in a time of fiscal restraint, it is unacceptable for taxpayer dollars to be wasted in this manner.
As you know, our law enforcement tools and personnel can play an important role in uncovering fraud, corruption, and illicit activity. I urge the Department to use the full weight of its prosecutorial and investigative resources going forward to disrupt and dismantle any criminal activity among Afghan contractors, and to recover any ill-gotten proceeds of crime. In addition, I would ask that you inform me if additional statutory tools would better enable the Department to prevent and prosecute contracting crime in Afghanistan.
Thank you for your attention to these important matters.
Sincerely,
Sheldon Whitehouse
United States Senator
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