Pentagon audit says Boeing cleaned up on Air Force parts, including soap dispensers marked up 8,000%

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Boeing overcharged the Air Force nearly $1 million for spare parts on C-17 cargo planes, including an 8,000% markup for simple lavatory soap dispensers, according to the Pentagon’s inspector general.

The Defense Department’s auditor reviewed prices paid for 46 spare parts on the C-17 from 2018 to 2022 and found that 12 were overpriced and nine seemed reasonably priced. It couldn’t determine the fairness of prices on the other 25 items.

The Office of the Inspector General said it reviewed the soap dispenser prices after getting a hotline tip.

Boeing disputed the findings.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/boeing-defense-audit-soap-dispenser-parts-a811f332067af097f0bcd2effb111d30

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Those stock buy backs require good money.

[Faux pas]

1. That's

our money being stolen

[pnwmom]

2. It sounds crazy but if it's a new design of a soap dispenser, not previously flight tested,

then it might need to be flight tested and that can be expensive.

Or so says an aeronautical engineer that I questioned.

[Harker]

3. It does sound crazy.

If there are G forces at work that could bring the operational capabilities of a soap dispenser into question, I would think hygiene wouldn't be the greatest concern.

[IzzaNuDay]

6. another point

Yup, paying the price for certification! If there are any non-metals in the soap dispenser, probably needs flammability testing too.

[orthoclad]

4. That's how to hide dark money

like those 900 dollar wrenches (iirc) of yesteryear.
Black ops have to be funded somehow.

[bahboo]

5. profits over country....our corporations at work....

[Igel]

7. A few things.

There were specifications. Boeing met them. Did others bid and demonstrate that they met the specs?

For that mark-up, you'd think they would. If they were aware of the RFB or RFP or qualified when a a larger overarching request was issued and deciced, if that's the kind of mark-up.

Some low-level person had to approve the bid and invoice. Or just didn't care. But that's a second layer of government oversight that apparently led to an oversight.

[Harker]

9. Ah... an oversight oversight! n/t

[area51]

8. Long past time to put the military on a strict budget. n/t