'Air Force tanker award was unfair: auditors Wednesday June 25, 5:58 pm ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force told Boeing Co (NYSE:BA - News) it had fully met a key requirement in competing for a $35 billion aerial refueling program but then changed its evaluation without telling the company, government auditors said on Wednesday. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released an extended explanation of its decision last week to uphold Boeing's protest against the contract award to Northrop Grumman Corp (NYSE:NOC - News) and Europe's EADS (Paris:EAD.PA - News). GAO said the Air Force competition to build refueling tankers was seriously flawed and unfairly favored the eventual winners, Without those errors, losing bidder Boeing Co (NYSE:BA - News) would have had a 'substantial chance' of winning the contract, said the GAO, an arm of Congress that reviews federal contract bidding disputes. In its 22,000 word document, redacted for public viewing, the GAO said the Air Force conducted 'misleading and unequal discussions' with Boeing. For example, it told Boeing it had fully satisfied an operation utility requirement covering things like maneuverability and runway operations, but later deciding it had only partially met the objective, without telling Boeing. The contract was awarded on February 29 to a team made up of Northrop and EADS, the corporate parent of Boeing's passenger-jet rival Airbus [allegedly represented in the fraudulent tanker bid by racketeering lobbyists acting for John 'Songbird' McCain and Michelle Obama's tax-shelter law firm Sidley Austin]'http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/080625/tanker_airforce_gao.html?.v=1
http://www.usdoj.gr/ch32a.html
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