Defense firm's 'excess profits' land in Congress's crosshairs

[nitpicker]

1. From the House Oversight and Government Reform website

https://oversight.house.gov/legislation/hearings/dod-inspector-general-report-on-excess-profits-by-transdigm-group-inc

link to
https://oversight.house.gov/news/press-releases/committee-held-hearing-on-defense-contractor-s-excess-profits

May 15, 2019
| Press Release

Washington, D.C. (May 15, 2019)—On Wednesday, the Committee on Oversight and Reform held a hearing on “DOD Inspector General Report on Excess Profits by TransDigm Group, Inc.”

TAKEAWAYS

•The memo prepared by Committee staff released during today’s hearing summarizes new documents obtained by the Committee regarding TransDigm’s extreme profit margins, as well as information from whistleblowers and former company officials about efforts to conceal data about the company’s costs for manufacturing these parts.

•TransDigm refused to commit to paying the Department of Defense (DOD) a refund of the $16.1 million in excess profits it received through its price gouging. Democratic and Republican members of the Committee urged TransDigm to immediately reimburse the DOD and end its unethical business practices.

•TransDigm’s Chief Executive Officer Kevin Stein admitted that the company’s employees withheld cost data from contracting officers for 15 parts manufactured by the company despite requests from contracting officers. Stein claimed that TransDigm can legally withhold cost data for commercial items, but none of the 15 parts had been deemed commercial items, according to testimony from the DOD.

•Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Kevin Fahey testified, “we look forward to working with Congress to find ways to prevent companies like TransDigm from gouging the taxpayers with their sickening business practices.”

•As a result of TransDigm’s price gouging, Mr. Fahey explained that the DOD overpaid for mission-critical parts, diverting resources that could have been used for additional military needs. Mr. Fahey testified, “Every time you’re paying a cost that is outrageous, you could be spending that money somewhere else. For example, if we got our $16 million back, we could be buying other spare parts to increase readiness.”
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