Defense Contract Hubbub

A spokesman for defense contractor DESE Research Incorporated takes exception to the Voice's depiction of its activities regarding Jay Garner, the U.S. majordomo in Iraq. The Voice reported in its April 23-29 issue that DESE claimed it lost a contract bidding war to L-3 Communications after Garner, former president of SY Coleman, which was swallowed up by L-3, pressured government officials. Howell Riggs, an attorney for DESE, explains: "We are investigating whether or not Jay Garner was involved in illegal business practices related to the denial of an award to DESE research. DESE was not a direct competitor with SY Coleman's predecessor, SY Technology, for [the] contract. We expect to complete the investigation shortly. And a decision will then be made as to whether or not to pursue further legal action."

The Voice had tried to reach Riggs before the original story ran, but our calls were not returned.

Additional reporting: Phoebe St John and Joanna Khenkine