“This program wasted money, allowed dozens of felons access to installations they should never have had, and utterly lacked competent oversight,” said Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, who requested that the inspector general review the contract after receiving a tip from a whistleblower in June 2012. “It’s clear that its existence constitutes an unnecessary danger to the Navy and its personnel and it should be discontinued immediately.”
Dozens of convicted felons got unescorted access to Navy installations for weeks and even years because an outside company hired to save money issued temporary credentials to contractors before completing proper background checks, according to a federal audit released on Tuesday.
The Pentagon inspector general’s audit also found the program intended to save money probably wound up costing tax dollars instead.
Coming a day after a contractor opened fire at the Washington Navy Yard, killing 12 people and dying himself, the audit amounted to a powerful indictment of security measures at Navy facilities as Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel prepares to order a worldwide review of security at military bases.
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